Until Next Time
by chickadee77
Summary: Harry returns from a mission 14 years later, only to find everyone's lives destroyed. Is it right to tamper with the past? full summary on bio
1. Prologue

A/n: Well me and a friend were talking on the phone last night, and this idea was created based on the amazing film, **'The Butterfly Effect'.** So here goes another story from me…since it's the summer and this is probably the only time when I actually write things. This is my own version of a Hogwarts graduation…or any graduation. I haven't really been to a high school graduation so yeah…Oh and Voldemort's dead in this story coz I don't know what to do with him lol. I'm not good with action/adventure things.

Disclaimer: Butterfly effect and Harry Potter have their own lucky owners…damn you…

**Until Next Time**

****

****

**Prologue…**

****

****

            "Potter, Harry," Headmaster Dumbledore announced. There was a loud cheer and applause as Harry got up with a smile and shook Dumbledore's hand. He took his diploma and took a bow. Then he sat back beside his two best friends, Ron and Hermione.

            "I can't believe we're actually graduating!" Hermione squealed.

            "Yes Hermione, you've mentioned that about three billion times for the past two months," Ron rolled his eyes.

            "Well I honestly can't get over the fact that we won't be returning to Hogwarts as students! If we do come back, we'll be professors or something else," Hermione continued in her dreamy tone.

            "You still have to do your end of the year speech don't you?" Harry asked.

            "Oh, yes I do. Anthony and I have to do it, since we're the head boy and girl," Hermione nodded. "So many wonderful memories happened to us in our stay here in Hogwarts…so many memories…"

            Hermione kept droning on and on about the things they did while Harry looked at the families watching their children graduate. He searched for one girl in the sea of faces. He finally found her, sitting near the back of the room with her family with a proud smile on her face. He smiled back at her and longed to just get this whole thing over with so he can spend time alone with her. He had to tell her something extremely important.

            "Weasley. Ronald," Dumbledore called out.

            Ron got up with an unsure face. He didn't know whether to be happy that he's graduating or to be sad that he'll barely see Hermione. During their years at Hogwarts, he never had the courage to tell her how he felt about her, and now he felt it was too late. He had been dreading the last day of school ever since Hermione mentioned it to them in the beginning of the year. He took his diploma and gave the crowd a weak smile and sat back down.

            "You don't look happy, how come?" Hermione frowned. "Everyone's happy during their graduation!"

            "Well not everybody's like you Hermione," Ron snapped.

            Hermione was taken aback. "What on earth is wrong with you? It's the last day of the year and here you are, starting another fight with me. Honestly Ron, I've been trying very hard not to be angry with you, but you're making it quite difficult."

            "You're making it difficult for the both of us!" Ron replied.

            "Ok you know what? Both of you just shut up and pretend to be nice to each other," Harry said angrily. He couldn't believe that until the last day of the three of them in Hogwarts and Hermione and Ron were still at it.

            "I _was _being nice until Mr. I-wanna-start-another-fight-at-the-end-of-the-year here snapped," Hermione pointed out. Then she crossed her arms in front of her and watched the few remaining students graduate.

            After "Zabini, Blaise" received his diploma, the head boy, Anthony Livingstone from Ravenclaw and Hermione stood up to make their end of the year speech.

            "Our years in Hogwarts will always be treasured within our hearts and minds," Anthony began.

            Harry sighed. After their speech, Dumbledore has to say _his _own speech, and finally they have an after-party. Harry couldn't wait till this was all over, but at the same time he didn't want it to be over. He thought more of the decision he made to accept 'the mission', and now it's too late to turn back. He heard everyone applauding; meaning Hermione's speech was done.

            "Was that good?" Hermione asked them.

            "Yeah it was great," Harry nodded. Ron still didn't say anything.

            "When you students leave and go off into the next step of your lives, a part of Hogwarts will always dwell in all of you. We all went through many, many horrific things this year, some more than others," at this part, Dumbledore looked at Harry. "When the Dark Lord came back and regained his power, everyone was petrified. He will be gone for now though, but let's not think that he is _completely_ gone, for he is not. His spirit and memory still lingers within his most faithful followers, and anything can happen. On a happier note, despite all the bad things, there are of course, good things. Winning house cups and Quidditch cups, Yule Balls, Halloween, Christmas, Hogsmeade, all these things add up to make our years enjoyable and unforgettable. In closing, I wish all of you good luck in your lives, and that you all continue to live up to your dreams. You may proceed to have your party."

            The graduates stood up and applauded for him. Then they all held hands and bowed to the audience, some of which were crying. Then they all stepped off the grand stage and hugged their families. Harry felt left out in a way, since he didn't have his own parents to be there to hug him and tell him how proud they are of him. A feeling of sadness filled him as he passed by Neville Longbottom and his grandmother hugging and crying. He glanced back and saw Draco Malfoy with a grin, staring at him. Harry ignored him and finally found the girl he had been wanting to be with.

            "Harry! I can't believe today's almost over!" The girl cried happily. She wrapped her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. Harry hugged her back.

            "But it's not over yet," He whispered in her ear. "Do you wanna go outside for a bit, I have to tell you something."

            The girl looked up at him. "Sure." They held hands and sneaked off to a garden. They lay on the cool grass, gazing at the picture perfect sky. There was also a nice gentle breeze blowing. It was the perfect setting, as if they were in a movie.

            "This is so beautiful," The girl said in a soft voice. "Everything's so perfect."

            "_You're_ perfect," Harry whispered.

            She looked at him and smiled. Then she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "I love you, don't ever forget that."

            Harry suddenly felt a swirl of emotions inside. Did he make the right decision in accepting? Why did he even apply for that position anyway? What was he thinking? Was it worth not seeing her for 12 years? He turned away.

            "What's the matter?" She asked worriedly.

            "I – Ginny – "Harry didn't know how to tell her. It was already hard enough for him to think about it, but actually seeing her reaction…he wasn't quite sure. He felt her hand grip his tighter. "The ministry is sending me away on a special mission in Scotland for twelve years…"

            "What?" Ginny felt confused. She brushed her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ears. "What are you saying?"

            "I applied for this position you see, so after I graduate I'd be doing something worthwhile in my life, and when I got hired I was so excited…" Harry began to explain.

            "But didn't you say you were gonna try to work _in _Hogwarts?" Ginny couldn't understand what was happening to their plans.

            "But this seemed so interesting to me Gin! It's kind of like being a detective, researching and spying on witches and wizards who are planning something evil or something linked to Voldemort." Harry continued. "I just thought that it would make sense to find out _why _someone would rebel against society, and all those other things. It's hard to explain."

            "So basically you're gonna go out there again and put yourself in danger? Haven't you already been in enough? Every year in Hogwarts you were always in some trouble related to you-know-who. Every year you've been close to dying! Do you know how that makes me feel? It makes me feel like I wanna die too because I can't imagine myself living without you!" Tears started forming in her eyes as she remembered all of Harry's near-death experiences.

            Harry remained silent. He knew she wasn't going to take it easy. But of course how can she? If the situation was switched and she would have to leave him, he'd probably do the same thing. After a long period of silence, he added, "I can't back out now Ginny, it's too late."

            "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME SOONER? YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME!" Ginny exclaimed. She was extremely angry.

            "I couldn't! I know you would've said no, and I really want to do this Ginny." Harry snapped back.

            "EXACTLY! You knew I was gonna say no, and you went ahead and did it anyway!" Ginny cried. "I guess what you want is more important than me, huh?"

            "Oh don't use that 'I'm not important' speech that you always do," Harry said coldly.

            "Why not? Oh maybe because it's _true_!" Ginny yelled. She was losing her temper. Everything was so perfect until now. Why was Harry so stupid?

            "The decision's final, I can't do anything about it. We're leaving early morning tomorrow." Harry said calmly.

            Ginny didn't say anything. There was an awkward tension between the two of them. Both didn't know what to say or do. Suddenly they heard footsteps coming from behind them. They turned around and saw Ron and Hermione laughing.

            "There you guys are!" Ron said happily. "We've been trying to find you for awhile." He had icing on his hair and robes.

            "Well, here we are, "Harry tried to smile.

            "They're having a huge food fight inside, you guys better come and see it! It's pandemonium in there." Hermione added. She had chocolate on her cheek and crumbs on her robes.

            "So are you guys going with us?" Ron asked, stretching his arm to Harry.

            "Uh – yeah – of course. It _is _our graduation," Harry nodded unsurely. He looked over at Ginny who kept her lips firmly shut. The foursome walked into the Great Hall, where everyone was either screaming or throwing something at someone.

**A few hours later…**

            "That was the best night I ever had!" Ron declared as he and Harry reached their dormitory. "I'm dead tired though."

            Harry gave a small snort in agreement. The other boys were either downstairs, still in the food fight, or out somewhere with their girlfriends. He looked at his bed and realized this would be the last night he would be sleeping there. Then he looked over at Ron who was lying on his bed, eyes closed. He hadn't told Ron he was leaving, and he felt guilty for it. The only person who he had told was Ginny. Ron would probably freak out if he told him, and Hermione probably would do the same. Harry decided not to wake him up, since he was already snoring.

            Harry opened a box which contained his special possessions. He took out a black, leather notebook and opened to a fresh page. He had started writing a journal since his 6th year, thinking it would help him keep track of what he does. He found it useful for remembering special events and memorable occasions.

_June 29, _

_Today was my graduation and I finally told her my big secret. I took her outside to the gardens and I confessed. She didn't take it too well…I expected that anyway. It was so hard to look at her, crying and angry at me. I don't know how to say good bye to her now. She won't even look at me. I'm truly going to miss her… There was a massive food fight in the Great Hall, I got quite dirty, but not as dirty as Ron. Man I can't stop thinking about her. I wanna go to her room right now and tell her that I'm not going…that it's all a dream and we would be together…but it's too late now…it's all too late…._

            And with that, Harry decided to write Hermione and Ron a note about his mission. He would be leaving in a few hours, and knowing Ron, he would be sleeping in until noon. After writing his best friends' note, he wrote a note to Ginny. Harry placed the letter inside an envelope and sealed it tightly. Then on the front he wrote Ginny's name and placed it on Ron's bed, along with Ron's note. After that he took his wand and used a spell to pack up his things. He would be leaving in a few hours and he decided to sleep even for a bit.

**The next day…**

            Ron slowly opened his eyes. A stream of light went through the windows. "AHH!" He exclaimed. "Harry? Are you up?" He sat up and saw that his friend's bed was already made. _Weird…Harry rarely makes his bed, _he thought. He looked at his own bed and saw two envelopes. One said, _To Hermione and Ron_ on it and the other said _To Ginny_. Ron frowned and opened the letter. After reading it, he quickly ran to the girls' dormitory.

            "You're not allowed in here!" Lavender squealed.

            "I don't have time to explain," Ron snapped. "Hermione! Where are you? Ginny?"

            A redhead peeped out of one of the doors. "What the hell do you want Ron?" Her eyes looked teary and tired.

            "Here." He handed her the envelope. "Where's Hermione? Harry's gone!"

            "W – What? A – Already?" Ginny stammered. "I – I'm too late…I – "Ginny shut the door and hastily opened the envelope. As she read, tears dropped on the parchment.

_Ginny,_

_            I know you're still angry at me for doing this, and I don't know how many times I'd have to say sorry to you for you to forgive me, but I just hope it would be soon. I'm not allowed to receive letters from anyone while I'm on this mission, anyone might be able to trace our location. However I **am **allowed to owl people every once a month, so you know who I'm going to be owling. I'm truly going to miss you…and I hope you miss me too…haha how cheesy…_

_            Just remember this, I'll always love you no matter what. I always have and I always will. Even if I'll be away from you for 20, 30 or even 40 years, you're the only girl that I'll always be thinking of. I don't know if you'll still feel the same way after 12 years of me being gone, considering how you're so beautiful, and I can't be there to Expelliarmus all the blokes who hit on you. But if you do continue to love me when I come back, I promise you the first thing that we'll do is get married. I promise. Well, I need at least a bit of sleep, long trip ahead of us…_

_            Don't ever forget I love you. EVER. _

_Loving you always,_

_Harry_

_PS: I'll come back for you._

            "I let him go! I let him go…and now it's too late…too late…" Ginny wailed as she clutched the letter in her hand.

A/n: Oh my gosh sorry if that was so long! Don't worry the rest of the story won't be this long, it's only because it's the prologue. Well anyways, hope you review!


	2. Goodbye and hello

A/n: Hi! I'm kind of embarrassed because I didn't notice this mistake I made in this chapter, until a reviewer mentioned. Thank you **hpgirl777** for pointing it out. So yeah, I just changed some stuff.

**Fourteen years later…**

"So finally, we say good bye," Corey Mitchell sighed. "We finally get to go back to our families and friends…"

A boy – no, a _man_ beside him nodded in agreement. "I'm not even sure if I have anyone to go back to actually," He replied sadly. He brushed his long raven black hair out of his face. "I don't know if they even remember me. If _she _even remembers me…I wouldn't mind if none of them remember me, as long as she does."

"Oh you got yourself a little girlfriend huh?" Corey teased. He knew what it felt like to leave a beloved woman behind. This was the second time he went on a mission. The first time was for ten years. He left his young wife at the age of 20, and when he came back she had died from a terrible disease. He was devastated and barely talked to anyone. When he heard there was another mission, he thought there was nothing left for him to be at home for and decided to go.

"Yeah…she was more than a girlfriend to me though. She was everything. My friend, my lover, the only thing that makes me think that there's something good left in the world," The man smiled, thinking of the lovely red-haired girl he had left. Then a flood of emotions filled him. Sadness, anger, joy, guilt… Did she find someone new? Was she too impatient? He told her that they had to stay 2 more years because the mission was extended. He sent her poems and cards on her birthdays.

"Well Harry, living out here in the woods, mountains, caves, wherever you name it – it makes us stronger men. It tests our faith in everything, in love, our commitments, and ourselves," Corey spoke. "What's the lucky girl's name?"

"Ginny Weasley," Harry said delicately. He longed for them to be together so badly. He could barely wait until the trip home tonight. It would take them at least a day or two to fly back to his hometown since they would probably stop occasionally for food or rest.

"Ahh, lovely name. I'm guessing she's the one you always write your monthly letters to?" Corey assumed.

"Yeah…she never answered me though," Harry replied sadly. "But I don't care; all I wanna do is hold her and catch up on everything."

"It won't be that easy you know, it takes awhile to get used to being back. That's how I felt when I came back from my first mission," Corey stated. "Everything and everyone was different. My wife – she – she died just a week before I was coming back. It all happened so fast. I still feel regret for not being there to see her one last time…"

Butterflies fluttered inside Harry's stomach. What if the same thing happened to Ginny? Is that why she hasn't been replying?

"But don't worry, I'm sure your gal's waiting for you," Corey assured him. He didn't want Harry to feel the same way he had. It was much too painful.

Harry smiled back weakly. Then they heard a loud siren coming from inside a small cave. "I guess it's time to go back now."

Corey gave Harry a pat on the back and the two men headed inside.

"We're almost there!" Adrianna Webthorne cried happily. "I can smell London from here!"

Harry laughed. He could barely wait to get off his broom and surprise his friends, especially Ginny.

"Hey Harry, d'you wanna go get a butterbeer, you know, before we completely say good bye?" Corey asked as he flew beside Harry. "Don't worry I won't take up too much of your time. I know how you really wanna see that girl of yours."

"Sure," Harry replied. Corey had been his best friend during the mission. Corey taught him everything he needed to know. He watched out for him and showed him what to do. He was certainly going to miss him.

About twenty minutes later, the pack slowly started flying lower. Finally they reached an empty field and everyone got off their brooms.

"It was certainly a great experience working with all of you!" Mr. Quiggley, an old man with a long gray beard announced. He was the head of the Department of Spies in the ministry and at the same time he was their leader. "This was one of the best teams that I have ever worked with, and all of you did tremendously well in finding information about Death Eaters and rebels in our world."

"You were great yourself Sir," A woman's voice commented.

"Why thank you Miss O' Reilly," The old wizard laughed. "And now, we shall part, and hopefully we shall cross each other's paths in the near future."

The group of witches and wizards cheered and applauded and flew off on their brooms separately, excited to go home to their loved ones.

"To Hogsmeade?" Corey inquired.

Harry nodded and the two men got on their brooms and flew to Hogsmeade.

"So what about your family? Do they know you're coming back?" Harry asked Corey after gulping half of his butterbeer. He hadn't tasted butterbeer for 14 years now, and it felt and tasted surprisingly better than he remembered.

"No, they treat me as if I'm dead anyway," Corey replied. He took little sips of his third butterbeer. He seemed not to care about his family at all. "Ever since Serene died…I really don't know why I even bother going home."

Harry saw the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sure they'd be glad to have you home."

"Home. I don't even remember what home feels like," Corey grunted.

For the rest of the time, they drank in silence. Both were tired and exhausted, and felt that the other person wanted some time alone.

"Well, it's been great working with you Harry Potter. You're a good man. I remember the first time we left, you seemed unsure and scared but at the same time brave and determined. You were still so young, and now you've grown up. I hope to see you again someday," Corey stuck out his hand and Harry shook it tightly.

"Yeah of course we will," Harry nodded and gave Corey a tight embrace. They both stood up and headed outside together. Harry opened the door for Corey.

"Yeah of course I'll fuck him tonight!" Harry heard a girl laugh. That laugh...that voice…sounded so familiar. He looked behind him and saw a girl with dark brown hair, dark red lipstick and violet eyeshadow. She wore hoopy earrings, a black jacket and faded jeans. She was with two other girls that Harry didn't know, but the girl looked so familiar but he couldn't figure out who it was.

"Oh Ginny, you certainly have him whipped!" One of the girls giggled.

Harry froze.


	3. What happened to the girl he loved?

A/n: I knew it was a bad way to end it, yet I ended it that way anyway lol. Thank you to all the people who reviewed! **I had to change the rating because of foul language** so keep note of that. Here's the 3rd chap for you:

**What happened to the girl he loved?**

****

            Harry instantly grabbed Ginny, not realizing what he's doing.

            "What the fuck! Don't touch me!" She yelled.

            The next thing Harry knew was he was clutching his reddened cheek after being slapped. The whole bar was looking at them.

            "G – Ginny…" He whispered. He stretched out his hand to her.

            "How does this hobo know your name?" One of the girls asked.

            "I don't know, maybe one of Derrick's friends spread the word about how good I am." Ginny laughed sarcastically.

            **_Was _**_this really Ginny? _Harry thought. _Maybe I'm having delusions...this can't be her…Ginny…she's nothing like this girl. _Even though he thought that, Harry tried again. "Ginny Weasley?"

            Ginny's face scrunched up into a frown. "I am _not _a fucking Weasley ok? Nobody has ever called me by that last name for the past few years now, and I don't want them to start."  
            "C – Can I see you…alone…?" Harry asked meekly.

            "Ginny, don't go. He's probably a sick pedophile." Another one of Ginny's friends cautioned. This made Harry realize that he probably looked 10 years older than he really was. He hadn't shaved for about 5 months now. Shaving isn't really a priority while you're on a mission.

            "Oh who the fuck cares!" Ginny shrugged. "Wait for me in here ok?" Her friends slowly nodded and walked off to find a table.

            Harry reached for her hand. "Let's go outside."

            "What's with the touching and grabbing?" Ginny exclaimed. She quickly pulled her hand away. When they got outside, she added, "Look mister, this is the first time I've met you and I need to know your sexual history first before we get anything done."

            Harry felt confused. "W – What are you talking about?"

            Now _Ginny_ felt confused. "Well...isn't this what you wanted to talk to me about?"

            "No, not at all!" Harry told her. "C – Can I just h – hold you for a while?"

            "I – well…fine." Ginny nodded unsurely. A little hug won't hurt would it? Besides, maybe after he gets what he wants, he'd leave her alone.

            Harry carefully approached her, as if trying not to scare her away. How could she not remember him anymore? _It's coz of the beard, _he told himself. Now they were almost touching. He carefully opened his arms and wrapped them around Ginny's slim body. He hugged her tightly, as if never wanting to let her go. Her hair smelt like flowers. He touched her face softly and looked in her eyes.

            Ginny suddenly had a weird feeling inside her. Deja-vu? This all felt so familiar...Who _was _this man? _It can't be…it can't be…._she kept thinking to herself. She looked back into his eyes. Something about those green eyes…_They remind me of pickles! _She giggled to herself. Then her mouth fell open. It made sense now. _No, it's not him. It can't be. It's been too long! He left me forever! _She told herself. Suddenly there was a strong gust of wind. Her hair flew wildly and so did his. She caught a glimpse of something in the man's forehead. She gently brushed his hair off his face and saw a lightning bolt scar. She quickly pushed him away.

            "H – Harry?" Her voice cracked.

            "Yes it's me. Can you believe it? I'm finally back Ginny!" He smiled.

            Ginny didn't know what to say. All of the feelings she had when he was gone came back to her. All those years of her being alone without Harry and being with…_him._ It all felt like a nightmare.

            "B – But – y- you left me…" Ginny cried. "A long time ago…you never came back…you said you would…I waited…"

            "I wrote you letters everyday and I sent Hedwig to deliver them every month! I told you I was extended for two more years millions of times in my letters. Did you get any of them?" Harry explained rationally. He began to step closer to Ginny but she kept stepping back.

            "W – What letters? I waited everyday for them! You lied to me! I never got anything!" Ginny exclaimed. Suddenly rain started pouring. It felt like they were in a movie, as if everything was a dream, and she could stop and rewind.

            "I don't know what could've happened to them Gin, but I swear I wrote you everyday and owled them every month." Harry pleaded. "But that doesn't matter now, we're together again." He moved in closer to her and hugged her tightly.

            Ginny pushed him away once more. "Don't fucking touch me! You think you can just come back here and pretend everything's ok, like nothing's changed - "

            "Nothing _has _changed!" Harry insisted. "I still love you as much as I have and you…"

            Ginny looked away. "That's where you're very, very wrong Harry. _You _might still love _me, _but I can't say the same."

            Harry stood still. So this is truly what pain feels like. He thought he felt pain when Voldemort attacked him, or when people made comments about him and his parents, or when kids in school would make stupid rumors about him…but this…this was truly more than that.

            "Harry, when you're 16, and you have a whole life ahead of you, do you really think I can sit at my house and just _wait_ for you?" Ginny continued. "I tried, believe me, I really did. But I realized there was so much more that I can accomplish than by waiting for you. Alone."

            "I waited for you…I waited till the day I would get to come back…" Harry murmured.

            "So did I. But after 10 _fucking years _and you still hadn't come back, I thought I was going crazy." Ginny answered angrily. Her face was wet with tears and rainwater. "I thought, 'maybe I should wait another year, maybe something happened, I'm sure he would owl me'. But noooo, I got _nothing_ for FOURTEEN FUCKING YEARS!"

            "I don't know what happened ok? I sent you at least 200 letters during those 14 years." Harry felt angry now. "Did you think I was having a blast where I was? WELL I WASN'T!"

            "And you think I was?" Ginny yelled. "I gave up on you along time ago Harry. I don't wanna go back to the way things were before. A lot of things happened while you were gone."

            "Well just tell me one thing," Harry said softly. "Are you happy?"

            Ginny was silent. Once again she saw Harry as the man she once loved. "Y – Yes." She said after a long time.

            Harry looked away, trying to hide his tears. "Good bye then, Ginny." He slowly turned around and walked away.

A/n: Don't worry there will be more about what happened during those 14 years to Ginny so please keep reading and reviewing! Special thanks to:

**Draco**** My Love**

**Jennifer**

**DreamGurl-de-Draco******

**Viriginia******

**Geminia******


	4. Flashback to the pastpt1

A/n: Sorry guys about not updating again. I **did **update my other fic though, so I'm proud of myself for that. Wow 12 reviews in 3 chapters! Thanks so much. This chapter's pretty long so I hope I can make up for the lack of updates!

****

**_The parts written like this are flashbacks_**

****

**Flashback to the past (part one)**

****

Harry decided not to surprise anyone else about his visits. He couldn't care less if they still remembered him, not after the whole Ginny thing. How could this all have happened? He couldn't understand why she wouldn't have gotten his letters. He couldn't understand why she didn't think he would come back. He had promised her that he would, that should've been enough. She was the only thing that kept him alive in the caves. Every night he would stare at her picture, wishing he could somehow just jump in there to be with her. She had definitely without a doubt changed.

Harry apparated into his lonely residence, Sirius's old house. Everything was completely covered in dust. Cobwebs were in every corner. He saw dust particles floating in the air.

"Well this is going to take a while to clean up," He said to himself. Maybe he shouldn't have freed Kreecher? But Kreecher and him could never get along, always yelling at each other because Kreecher still didn't see him as part of the family. Harry had decided that he might as well just free the stubborn house elf. He planned on getting another one, but Hermione said she would never let him hear the end of it. _Well I bet S.P.E.W doesn't even matter to you now, Hermione, _he thought to himself. _I bet you already have one of your own anyway!_

He dragged his suitcase up the stairs and into his bedroom. He made a trail of water dripping from his clothes. He opened his bedroom door and saw complete darkness. He lit up his wand and found five candles that he had left 14 years ago on a table. He lit them up and saw how bare his room was. "Well today's not the day to start redecorating," he muttered. He hit his hand on the bed and dust particles by the hundreds flew out.

He sighed and decided to sleep on the cold, hardwood floor. He had slept in much worse places, so this was like heaven on his back. He took out a bunch of clothes from his suitcase and used it as a pillow and a towel for a blanket. Then he shut his eyes and tried his best to sleep.

"Oh my god you're soaking wet!" Aleesha Roberts exclaimed as Ginny walked in the bar.

"I – I k – know," Ginny shivered. She was making little puddles on the floor.

"Come here, I'll fix you up," Rachel Anderson told her. Rachel took out her wand and said, "_Chaudiccio__!_" Hot air came out of her wand like a blow dryer. She pointed it at Ginny's clothes and they started drying. Then she worked on Ginny's hair. After about five minutes, Ginny was completely dry.

"Thanks," Ginny said.

"No problem," Rachel patted her on the back. "Did you figure out who that crazy man was? How'd he know your name?"

Ginny looked at her mug of butterbeer and said softly, "He was nobody."

"But how can he just know your name? Was he a pedophile?" Clarissa Locks asked.

"I don't know how he knows my name," Ginny said simply. "And I don't know if he was a pedophile or not. He just wanted some money so I gave him a couple of sickles and he left. That's it."

"You took awfully long out there though," Aleesha pointed out.

"It was because I thought I saw someone I knew," Ginny assured her. "I'm fine guys, really. It was just a really random thing that happened and we'll probably never see him again."

"Thank heavens for that!" Clarissa nodded. "So are we all heading to Robbie's after?"

"Yeah of course!" Rachel nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for anything!" Everyone else cried in agreement except Ginny. "What's wrong hun?"

"I don't think I wanna go anymore. I'm kinda tired actually, and after that whole beggar thing, I think I've had enough for today," She answered slowly.

"But Gin! This party has been planned for the longest time, since like, forever!" Clarissa gasped. "And what would Derrick do without you there?"

"As if Derrick fucking cares a rat's ass about me," Ginny snapped. "He has no reason not to fuck another girl that he meets there."

"But you're his favorite Ginny! I heard him telling the guys the other day that you -" Rachel began.

"I don't care what he tells his friends about me, ok? I just wanna go home and sleep and forget this whole night ever happened," Ginny said firmly. "See you some other night girls." She got up quickly and left.

"I think it's safe to say that 'hobo' wasn't an ordinary hobo," Aleesha stated.

"Hmm hmmm," The others agreed.

Ginny quickly unlocked the door to her apartment. She lived alone in a small, one-bedroom apartment in London. She turned on the lights and sighed when she saw piles of dishes left on the sink. She threw her bag on the couch and went to her room. She changed into her pajamas and hopped on the bed.

_Why would he just come back like that, after all these years? _She thought as she lay in bed. _Does he think that those years were so easy for me? I tried my best to be patient, I really did…but after 14 years? I don't think so._

She still remembered back in his graduation, when they were out in the gardens, holding hands, caring for nothing in the world but each other. Everything was perfect, until he told her about his 'mission'. All the anger, sadness, shock and disappointment came back all at once to her. The worst memory of all, was Ron coming in the girls' dormitory and telling her Harry had already gone and left nothing but a note.

_A note? Why couldn't he have at least talked to me before leaving? Did he think a note would make me feel better? Well it fucking didn't! _Ginny clutched her pillow tightly. She remembered reading it, and crying, crying, crying… That was all she could do. Cry. What did she get out of crying? Nothing at all. She read the note at least 5 times everyday during the summer and even when school had started. Everyday of every month she waited for an owl from him. Nothing came.She blamed it on the possible tough schedule and work he was doing in the mission. Then she blamed it on the weather. Then she blamed it on Hedwig, but she doubted that, because Hedwig was a very reliable bird and she could never get lost. Pretty soon she got fed up with waiting and waiting.

To make it worse, it seemed as if everyone around her were so happy with their lives. Ron and Hermione finally got together. Percy married Penelope and had children. Bill and Charlie had their own respective families. Even Fred and George got themselves girlfriends. Most of her friends had their own boyfriends, and that was all they would talk about. They often insisted with setting her up with other boys in their grade, but she always refused.

**_"Ginny, you're wasting your life waiting for Harry to come back," Luna told her. "I know he's a one in a million type of guy, but it's stupid of him to think that you – with that pretty face – can just stay single for 12 years and wait for him! That's crazy talk I tell you."_**

**_"Seriously Ginny," Another one of her friends, Amanda Hogan added. "I hear fellows talking about you all the time! They all want a piece of you."_**

**_"No, I don't wanna date or see anyone. As far as I'm concerned, I'm taken," she said stubbornly._**

**_"Suit yourself," Amanda sighed. "If I were you, I would've started dating as soon as Harry left."_**

**_"Well you're not me are you?" Ginny snapped._**

The feelings of loneliness and anguish surrounded Ginny everyday. Her hopes for the letters to come were never fulfilled. She was angry and frustrated and confused. Why wouldn't he write to her? Did he find another girl in his mission? Then doubt came to her mind. Maybe he was lying about the mission? Perhaps he was actually somewhere else, having a good time in paradise? She told herself to stop doubting, but eventually it got to her. It was driving her crazy.

Eventually she gave into her friends and went out with Jake Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's distant relative. He was very nice and respectful, but he didn't want to do anything. Meaning, he didn't have much time for her, and he was more concerned with Quidditch, friends and anything but spending time with her. The only time he _did _spend time with her was when he wanted to snog or when his friends were busy. However, Ginny's friends urged her to stay with him in thoughts that he would change. He surprisingly did, after about two months, and he invited her for Christmas Holidays at his own mansion.

At his mansion, there was a huge gathering for all the Malfoys and their relatives. Guess who she saw there? None other than Draco himself with his sidekicks Crabbe and Goyle.

**_"Well, well Jake, I didn't know you were going out with this -" Draco smirked as he saw Ginny and his own relative holding hands. _**

**_"Don't finish that sentence Draco. This gathering wasn't held for our family to start a fight," Jake replied. _**

**_"Wow, protective," Draco raised his eyebrows. Then he stared at Ginny carefully, who clutched Jake's hand tighter. She was wearing a strapless, lilac silk dress, her hair was tied back tightly into a bun, but a few curled strands were on the sides of her cheeks and she wore a gold necklace with a diamond pendant around her neck. She had violet eye shadow and light pink lipstick and some blush. She was quite stunning. _**

**_"What are you looking at?" She demanded. Draco's eyes made her feel uncomfortable for some reason._**

**_"Nothing, just beginning to realize the fact that you've grown up quite a lot over the years. But I still remember you as that little girl who had a huge crush on Harry Potter," Draco grinned._**

**_"You don't notice a lot of things Draco. Things change," Jake said in a stern voice._**

**_"Oh they certainly do," Draco nodded. And with that, he and his 'friends' walked away to another family member._**

**_"He is such an asshole," Ginny mumbled._**

**_"Yeah he is, but he's still family," Jake shrugged._**

She recalled the party going quite well, and that some Malfoys weren't as bad as she expected. She met a couple of people who were snotty and thought they were better than her just because she wasn't a Malfoy, but the rest were pretty nice. Then she had to go to the lavatory, and Jake was busy talking to his Uncles and Aunts so she decided not to bother him and went on her own. Unluckily, the mansion was so huge, probably about 200 times the Burrow. Nobody was inside the mansion, except for an occasional house elf bringing food to or from the kitchen.

**_"Uh, excuse me, but where's the washroom?" She asked a house elf passing by._**

**_"Which one missus?" The house elf smiled, holding a plate of spaghetti. _**

**_"The closest one here?" She replied._**

**_"Down that hallway, turn right and the first door to your left missus," The house elf told her._**

**_"Thank you very much, the food is delicious by the way," Ginny smiled._**

**_"Thank you missus," The house elf smiled widely and headed off to the tables. _**

**_Ginny followed the elf's instructions and found just one door to her left. As a matter of fact, there was only one door in the whole area. _**_Hmm, weird, she thought. **She opened the door and turned on the lights. Suddenly, a hand covered her mouth and she heard the door slam behind her.**_

****

****

****

A/n: Well most of you will probably hate me for doing this…but I'm going to cut it off right here and continue Ginny's story on the next chapter. please don't be TOO mad not to review though!

****

****

****


	5. Flashback to the past pt2

A/n: Holy crap it's been quite a while since I last updated anything, sorry to the people who still read my stuff.

**Flashback to the past (part 2)**

Ginny suddenly had goose bumps on her arms. She remembered how scared she was. She remembered what had happened in that room that forever changed her life. Until now, she still couldn't erase the dark, frightening thing from her memory. She probably never will. She reached under her pillow and took out a small, black and white photograph. The people in it were moving, smiling happily. There were twin boys, gently shoving each other in the front, the proud mother and father with bright smiles on their faces in the middle, two adult boys behind them, another boy with an arrogant smile beside them, and another boy with a confused look at the side. And at the bottom of the picture, there was a little girl, her hair in pigtails, trying to hide from everyone. Ginny breathed heavily and put it back underneath her pillow. She longed to be with that family once again, like nothing ever happened.

**_ Ginny opened her eyes. _**_What is this place? **She thought to herself. **How did I get here? **She found herself in a medium-sized room with dimly lit lamps, a couple of tables and chairs, an enormous bookcase and a king-size bed in the middle of the room. She reached for a nearby table and used it to help her get up. Her head felt heavy, as if it was filled with boulders, and she wanted to vomit. **_

**_Suddenly there was a loud CRACK and a man dressed in black, expensive robes appeared in the room. _**

**_"I see you're finally awake," He smirked._**

**_"What am I doing here? Where am I?" She demanded. She tried to yell, but her whole body was aching and she felt too weak._**

**_"You talk far too much. I liked it better when you were sleeping," He picked her up and threw her on the bed. _**

**_"W – What do you want from me? You sick pervert!" She began to cry. She didn't know exactly what was going on, she felt the room spinning around her. She grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. Her dress was ripped and torn and her hair was in a mess. She felt dirty._**

**_"Oh Ginny, I don't like having to put you through this, but you're asking for it," He held out his wand and pointed it at her._**

**_"P – please, let me go home. How long have I been here? Why are you doing this?" Her frustration and anger was building up inside her. She didn't know what to do. She was helpless against this, this monster. _**

**_"You know I can't let you go, how many times do I have to explain that to you?" He smiled and shook his head. "Oh right, I have to keep repeating myself whenever I use the memory charm on you."_**

**_"P – Please…" She cried. She clutched the blanket tightly and tried to move away. There was nowhere to go. She was trapped. She didn't know who this person was, but something about him made him so frightening. _**

**_He brushed his blond hair away from his face and revealed the grayest evil-filled eyes she had ever seen. _**

**_"You are my servant, and I am your master," He explained in a low voice, moving closer and closer to her. "If you would only co-operate with me and stop escaping, I wouldn't have to use my charms on you. Now, are you ready to do what I want without hesitating? Or do I have to remind you why?" He muttered "Crucio,"_**

Ginny woke up screaming. She looked at her wristwatch and saw that it was 10:00 AM. Until now, she still had nightmares. She looked beside her and found a shirtless boy with messy brown hair, drooling on a pillow. He smelled of vodka and weed. She rolled her eyes and hopped out of the bed. Why are they living together? She often asks herself. He doesn't pay any of the rent, he doesn't buy any food, and he never helps out with any chores. The only contribution he has is that he was excellent in bed.

She made a cup of coffee and sat on the window seat. She loved to stare at the children playing outside. Then she watched the young mothers with their strollers pass by. If she was in the magic world, the kids would be playing on broomsticks and playing quidditch. But she wasn't. Ever since she started over, she stopped talking to her old friends. She made new friends, witches who refused to admit they were witches, and begun a whole new identity. The only time she was in the magic world was when her and her new friends visited Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade had many different products that the muggle world couldn't offer, but besides that, they saw no reason to interact with their fellow witches and wizards.

_ What am I thinking? Do I **want **to go back to that life? _She asked herself. _No, my life now is perfect. _Then she shook her head and took a sip of her coffee. _Who am I kidding? _Everyday she would wake up in the morning and think of something good that has happened and she couldn't think of anything. Sure, her friends were sometimes kind and thoughtful, but they were different. They wouldn't understand her. All of them didn't regret at all the choices they have made in their lives. They didn't have the nagging feeling in their stomachs to return to their roots. She did. There was a constant pain in her chest that never left ever since she woke up in that room. Nothing made her happy. And to make the pain hurt more than it already did, _he _had to come back. _He _had to show himself and act as if everything was fine. _Well it's not fine!_

Suddenly, she heard a loud yawn coming from the bedroom. Great, he was up.

"GINNY? WHERE ARE YOU?" He bellowed.

"I'm in the living room!" She yelled back.

"Make me some food woman, I'm starving!"

"Cook your own damn food you lazy bastard," She replied. The man stomped his way into the living room, wearing a pair of red boxers.

"Come on baby," He smiled slyly. He walked towards her and nibbled at her ear.

She pushed him away. "Fine, get off me,"

He was taken aback. "What the fuck's your problem?"

She ignored him and opened the fridge. She took out 3 eggs and a Tupperware with leftover bacon inside.

"So where were you last night?" Her lazy roommate inquired as he placed himself comfortably on the couch and turned on the TV.

"I was tired, I didn't feel like going out," She responded. She cracked open the eggs and began to beat them furiously.

"Well I had a good time, met some new people," He told her as he surfed the channels.

"That's nice," She turned on the stove and placed a pan with oil on it.

"Tonight there's another thing at Clarissa's. You feeling better?" He looked at her curiously.

"Derrick, you can go fuck as many tramps as you want ok? I'm not going," She snapped.

"What the fuck's up your ass today?" He frowned. "Fine, do what you want."

"Here are your damn eggs," She took the pan and flung it at him. Then went to the bedroom and locked the door.


	6. A Fresh Start?

A/n: Hey thanks for the reviews though I don't deserve them. So what's up with Harry? Here you go.

**A Fresh Start?**

Harry was too lazy to cook his own food for breakfast the next morning so he decided to go to the closest fast food place. He reached a small diner called 'Sam's Diner' and noticed several people stared at him. _What are they looking at? Not like they've never seen an unshaved man before._ He thought irritably. He shot them an angry look and the quickly turned away. He sat in a window seat and waited for a waiter or waitress to take his order.

He caught a glimpse of himself on the reflection of a metallic napkin container and was surprised. His jet black hair looked greasy and untidy. It was quite long, just above his shoulders, and he had bangs slightly covering his eyes. His beard was longer than he thought it was. His robes had stains and muddy spots on them.

Finally a waitress came. "Well looks like you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," she greeted cheerfully.

He cracked a tiny smile. "I'd like the Sam's Supreme Special please."

"Excellent choice. You look like you're starving!" The waitress raised her eyebrows. A tag on her red vest said "Hi I'm JENNY" in gold plated letters. Her blonde hair was tied in a bun and her blue eyes were wide and full of expression.

"Let's just say I haven't eaten a real meal for awhile," Harry replied.

"You can say that again," Jenny agreed. She took his menu and added, "It'll be ready in about 15 minutes, sorry for the long wait."

He shrugged and she took off. That was the first human contact he had since he came back from his mission. Well that and Ginny. _God, Ginny. _He didn't want to think about her, but it was inevitable. He dreamt about her last night, an unpleasant dream. In it, she was sitting alone in the Gryffindor common room, holding a snake. Harry called out her name but she wouldn't respond. He ran towards her and yelled louder, but she continued to pet the scaly green snake.

"Ginny? It's me," He reached for her hand.

She finally looked at him, her eyes were yellow and they seemed to be glowing. The snake circled itself around her neck. "You never should've come back!" He felt a sharp pain on his right hand. Then it quickly became numb. The snake licked its fangs which were still dripping with his blood. He fell to the floor, paralyzed. Ginny rose and put her foot on his stomach.

"Why don't you just die?" She screamed. Then she took out a wand from her pocket and cried in an angry voice, "_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

"Excuse me? Hello? Hello? Sir?" A voice interrupted his thoughts. Jenny was holding a plate full of eggs, bacon, sausages, toast and potatoes and a tall cup of coffee in a tray. "This is a diner, not a hotel. If you wanted a place to sleep you can go cross the street and check yourself in."

Harry shook his head like a wet dog. "Sorry, I really need that coffee."

The impatient waitress placed the plate and coffee on the table. "Here, eat!" Then she quickly left to attend to other customers.

He made 'Sam's diner' a second home. He knew everyone there and he knew all the food in the menu (including their prices). He also wore clean clothes, and shaved regularly. He cut his hair into a shaggy, layered cut. He also applied for a job as a bellboy in the hotel across the diner. He earned enough money to support himself, and the Ministry of Magic would pay him until he died. It was part of the benefits he received for going on his mission. Harry felt this new start was going to be great.

He sat at his usual window seat and waited for her to come.

"The usual?" Jenny asked with a mischievous grin.

He smiled. "You already know, so why do you bother to ask?"

"I'm supposed to, it's my job," she answered, taking his menu. "What time are you off work?"

"I start at 6 and I won't end until 7 in the morning," he told her.

"So, you'll be eating breakfast here I presume?" Jenny licked her lips.

"As always," was the response.

She gave him a wink and left. Harry was growing fond of her. She was the only person who he felt he could confide in. She lived with her older sister (Jenny was only 25) in an apartment nearby and Harry visited her often. Whenever she inquired about visiting him, he always had to come up with an excuse. He couldn't tell her about his 'other life'. At least not yet. Being with Jenny helped him ease the pain. She helped him forget about the horrors he had seen in his mission. But most of all, she helped him forget about _her._ However, no matter how hard he tried, it was still difficult.

"Here, Sam's Subway with Spicy Chicken and a large softdrink," Jenny said in a robotic monotone.

"Thank you," He smiled again. She loved to see him smiling.

"Have a good meal," She added in the same monotonic voice. She leaned over kissed him on the forehead. "I have to work in the kitchen now, so I'll see you tomorrow morning alright?"

He held her hand and kissed it softly. "Till tomorrow."

She messed his hair up and walked away. _Did he love her? _That he couldn't answer. _Did he care for her? _Yes. _More than he cares for Ginny? _He couldn't answer that either.

**_"Are you happy?"_**

**_"Yes."_**

That was all he wanted to hear. No, that was a lie. He wanted to hear, "Yes Harry, I'm happy – with you." But that isn't how it turned out, and there was nothing he could do to change that. He would never force her into anything she didn't truly want. But does she know what she wants? He looked at his watch, 5:49 PM. Eleven minutes until work began. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and left the money on the table with some extra for Jenny. Then he put on his coat and headed out the door.

**That morning**

6:59 AM, his watch read. His boss was very strict when it came to time and he would make them stay in the hotel until the very last second. 7:00 AM.

"Ok boys, have a good day and see you tonight at the same time as yesterday. We have a lot of tourists coming in here," A fat, gray-mustached, elderly man reminded them.

"Thank you sir," some murmured.

Harry took his time getting out of the hotel. It was a daily ritual for him now. He would work in the afternoons or evenings, finish in the early morning, eat at Sam's, see Jenny and then head home. Then in the weekends he would go to Jenny's apartment after eating at Sam's for breakfast and they would spend the day together. Then he would head back to work. That was what has been happening for the past 6 months.

Sam's was quite full that morning. He walked over to his usual spot and found someone sitting in it. _Oh well, they probably wouldn't mind sharing, _he thought cheerfully. He tapped the person's brown parka.

"Excuse me, but – " He began politely. As soon as the person turned around, he stopped.

"Harry?"


	7. Surprise

A/n: Thanks for the reviews guys! **I think you're retarded** - we'll hear about Hermione and Ron later on.

**Surprise**

"Harry?" A small voice croaked. "What a surprise to see you here."

It certainly was. Six months. It's been six months since he last saw her. Six months since he heard her voice. But within those six months not once did he forget what she looked like. Not once did he forget the sound of her voice. He remembered every freckle, every mark, and every strand of hair.

"I look horrible don't I?" She managed to laugh. "I know I've had better days, but I haven't had time to fix myself up and look pretty lately."

"No you look fine," he finally found words to say.

She smiled gratefully. "You're still as sweet as you were back in -"

"May I take your order miss?" A voice interrupted. Harry turned around and saw Jenny giving both of them a quizzical look.

"Actually I should be leaving, I mean I don't have any money to pay for this, and I don't want him to come here…" Ginny trailed off.

"Two of the usual please," Harry seated himself across Ginny. He gave Jenny an 'I'll explain later look' and Jenny just rolled her eyes, took the menu and left.

"You – you didn't have to do that Harry," She felt embarrassed. "I mean after those awful things I said to you. I wouldn't be talking to me if I were you." Then she laughed again. "God I don't make sense."

"No, I know what you mean," he replied. He tried not to stare at her, but he couldn't help it. She had changed so much. She had dark spots under her eyes, droopy eye bags and she looked 10 years older than she was. Her hair was up in a loose ponytail, but there were so many strands out of place. Her face was bony and she had some cuts which she attempted to cover with tremendous amount of makeup.

Their plates came and Jenny kept giving Harry an icy look. He tried to reassure her by smiling at her but it didn't work. They didn't say anymore while they ate. But she could feel him staring at her. She caught him many times and he would try to look away quickly but he wasn't fast enough.

Finally she cracked a smile. "Is this like a game to you or something? It's as if we were back in the common room, or at the library, or during one of your quidditch practices or something."

"Quidditch," he repeated. "Haven't heard of that for awhile."

"I haven't been on a broom for about 12 years," Ginny said in an almost whisper.

"I thought you liked flying,"

"I did, well I still do. I mean, I don't know,"

"How are Ron and Hermione? I don't think they even know I'm back yet,"

She started playing with her egg yolk. "I don't think they even know I'm still alive."

"What?" He stopped chewing.

"It – It's complicated Harry," She said plainly. "Lots of things happened when you were gone."

He grabbed her hand without thinking. "So maybe now's the time to tell me."

She quickly pulled away. He suddenly realized the skin was peeling off her hand. She smiled. "Boiling water. It kinda stings."

"Ginny, please," He began. What had happened to her? He didn't want to push the subject, but he had to know.

She wiped her lips with a napkin. "I should go. I mean I don't want to see innocent people getting hurt."

"Why would that happen?" He wasn't ready for her to leave yet. Not until he got some answers. Not until he knew the truth.

"Derrick," was all she said. She stood up and took out a wallet from her purse. She turned it over and dozens of coins poured on the table. She bent down and reached for a dirty, green backpack from under the chair. "See you around."

"No, wait," he got up as well. "You can't go yet, we barely even talked and - "

"Here's a spot mom!" A little girl pointed out loudly. She hopped on Ginny's seat and motioned for her parents to come.

Harry placed some bills on the table, not even counting them. Ginny was already heading out the door.

"Harry?" He heard Jenny calling her, but he ignored her and quickly caught up to Ginny. He felt a raindrop hit his cheek.

"Ginny please wait," He grabbed her backpack and pulled her back. She fell into him, helpless.

"STOP IT! LET GO!" She screamed. She started punching his chest and pushing him away.

Harry held her tighter, as if to protect her from the rain that was pouring harder.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! Can't you take a fucking hint?" She kept screaming. He didn't let go.

"Not until you tell me what's happening," he whispered.

"Why do you suddenly start caring about me now? Huh?" She cried angrily. He loosened his arms around her. "Where were you when I was in that room with him? Where were you when I was crying for help? Where were you when I watched him torture my family? Where were you then? Where were you when my parents died? Where the fuck were you then? ANSWER ME!"

She was now completely free of him, her hair drenched with water. "There are things that are better left unsaid Harry. And there are things that are better unknown. For your sake."

"I could help you," he said, feeling stupid.

"HA!" She took her backpack off and unzipped the main pocket. "You say you want to help me? Fine." People were giving them odd looks but minded their own business.

_What is she doing?_

She reached inside and pulled out a silver handgun. "Here," She stretched her hand to him. "Take this. Shoot me."

"Are you out of your mind?" He was in disbelief. Ginny with a gun? For one thing, most witches don't even know what a gun is. "What's the matter with you? Why don't you just put that thing away and we can talk at the Grimauld place."

She began waving the gun in the air. Civilians were staring at her and swearing at her. "Put that shit down you crazy bitch!" Someone yelled at her.

"Mind your own fucking business junior!" She said angrily. "Oh come on dear Harry Potter, you said you wanted to help. So help me by shooting the living shit out of me!"

"Gin - " He didn't know what to do. "Someone call the police!" He shouted randomly. People merely rushed by, trying to get away from them as quickly as possible.

"No, make that a funeral home," Ginny gave him a twisted smile and pointed the gun directly to her head. She pulled the trigger even before he could yell out her name.

"OH MY GOD!" someone screamed.

Babies and little boys and girls were crying. Mothers were covering their eyes. Fathers picked their children up and took off hastily.

People were aghast and in shock.

And Harry was just standing there, a puddle of blood forming underneath him, mixing with the water.


	8. Problems

A/n: Hey sorry for the long wait! Thanks to all the reviews though. And **CharliesMommy **if you've seen The Butterfly Effect, it would probably freak you out a lot more than this wannabe.

**Problems**

"Why Ginny? WHY?" A woman shrieked. Her cheeks were soaked in tears. Water was dripping down her neck. Another woman was beside her, crying just as much. They held onto each other for comfort.

Harry couldn't bear to watch. There were only five women surrounding the beautifully gold-painted coffin. They threw bouquets of flowers on it and watched it slowly go down into a deep, dark hole. Harry shook as he watched the women slowly walk away. Eventually they all drove off and the area was deserted. A cool breeze dried his tears, for he did not care to wipe them. He held a small photograph in his hand, clutching it tightly. He approached the hole with caution, feeling ashamed for some reason.

He looked down on the coffin, then at the photograph. Droplets of water fell on the tattered picture. He kneeled to the ground and wept. It was finally hitting him. And it hit him so hard he felt his body being stretched and twisted like a pretzel. What he couldn't understand was where was her family? Where were her friends? He sent them an owl (its name was Hammy) the day it had happened, but he received no reply a week later. He bought the coffin, land, and paid for all the expenses but he decided to remain anonymous. Ginny's friends had no clue as to who had provided the elegant coffin and the dozens of flowers at the wake and funeral. During the week, it was the same five women who came to the wake. They had wanted to bury her earlier, but the funeral home told them that an anonymous gentleman had paid for a week's stay.

Why did nobody else come to visit? And who was this Derrick person that Ginny mentioned? He wanted to ask her friends, but he couldn't. A strange force was preventing him from doing so. He felt that he had to answer questions from the past before dealing with the ones in the present.

He rose from the moist ground and brushed his shaggy black hair back. He took out a wrinkled piece of yellow paper from his pockets and cleared his throat.

"Ginny, I wrote this for you along time ago, back when we were much younger. I wanted to show it to you when I would ask to marry you. I – It's too bad it didn't turn out that way," He cleared his throat.

_I can't promise you a wealthy living_

_I can't promise you fancy brooms_

_I can't promise you a mansion_

_I can't promise you the sun or moon_

_I can't promise you an easy life_

_Where no trials come our way_

_I can't promise a life without suffering or sadness_

_I can't promise that we will never feel pain_

_I'm not a perfect person_

_And I know I'll make mistakes_

_But if you give me the chance_

_I'll do whatever it takes_

_I can't promise you a lot of things_

_But I can assure you that I_

_Will love you, care for you and remain faithful_

_Will protect you and never leave you even when I die_

_The last thing I would want_

_Is to break this promise to you, you see _

_And now I kneel before you and ask,_

"_Will you marry me, Ginny?"_

As he cried the last line, he felt a strong sensation in his chest. What hurt him the most was the fact that maybe he could have prevented this. There were so many 'could have done's that he did not do. He dropped the paper and it landed slowly on the coffin filled with colorful flowers.

------

"_Oh come on dear Harry Potter, you said you wanted to help. So help me by shooting the living shit out of me!"_

Harry woke up with sweat dripping on his brow. He checked his wristwatch. 2:54 PM it read. _Shit,_ he thought. He was supposed to go to Jenny's apartment at noontime. They had planned to spend their day together. He took a quick shower, combed his hair, put on a black shirt and jeans and floo-powdered to the closest street to Sam's Diner. From there, he had to take the bus to get to Jenny's. When he finally arrived, it was already 3:40.

"Where were you? You're only about four hours late," Jenny greeted him. Harry entered her cozy apartment and took off his shoes.

"Look I'm really sorry, I had trouble sleeping last night," Harry explained.

Jenny pursed her lips. "You always have an excuse. I'm so sick of it!"

Harry remained silent. He sat on the couch and picked up a newspaper.

"I mean ever since that incident with that girl! I mean I know she was your friend from school, but you never really told me about her," Jenny blabbed on. "I'm sure the two of you were more than friends. And what was wrong with her? I mean was she a psychopath? Why would she just randomly shoot herself? We lost a lot of business ever since – "

"Can we not talk about her?" Harry said in an annoyed tone.

Jenny raised her eyebrows. "Well when are we going to Harry? I really want to know about her. Does she have any family members? I just want to know who she is!"

"Just let it go will you?" Harry snapped. "I've been having dreams about her for so long, and they've just gotten worse. And I know just as much as you do about her history."

"You dream about her?" Jenny gasped.

Harry was not in the mood. Why does she insist on pushing the subject when she knew that it bothered him so much? "Leave it alone Jen,"

"No, I will not!" Jenny looked at him intently. She reached for his hand and held them tightly. "Something about you has changed. You've been so secretive and depressed. I just want to help you. Talking about it will definitely help you go through this. I know you."

Harry stood up. "You think you know me? I don't even know me!" He said in a loud voice. Jenny was surprised.

Jenny closed her eyes and said in an almost-whisper, "Harry, maybe you should just leave."

Harry wanted to say something, but he knew it would be pointless. He nodded, put his shoes on and left.

A/n: yeah the poem's really cheesy, but whatever.


	9. Potter the Stalker

A/n: Wow thank you to the people who still read and review this fic! This one will be quite long...

**Potter the Stalker**

****

The next day, Harry finally decided to visit a family very dear to him. He took his trusty broom and traveled a few miles before eventually reaching the nice little house where the noblest wizarding family lived (well in _his_ opinion). It was different from what he remembered. The garden was full of weeds, the paint was peeling off the walls, and the windows were falling off their hinges. He cautiously approached the door, feeling very nervous and anxious.

"Hello?" He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. He knocked again, and nobody came. He knocked harder and louder, and still nobody came. _Perhaps they decided to take a family trip somewhere, _he assumed. That would explain why the house was so untidy. He turned around and prepared to leave when someone finally opened the door.

"What do you want?" An angry voice behind him boomed.

Harry turned around excitedly and found himself face to face with an enormous, hairy man.

"I – well I was just – George Weasley?" He tried.

"Weasley?" the man scratched his bearded chin. He looked over his shoulder and bellowed, "MAGGIE! DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE NAMED WEASLEY?"Another enormous being approached the door, carrying a chocolate bar.

"Weasley… hmmm…" Maggie pondered. She looked exactly like the enormous man, except she was completely bald. The only hair she had was on her eyebrows and in her nostrils from what Harry could see. "Nuh-uh."

"Sorry laddie, we don't know anything bout them Weasleys. We've been living here our whole lives." The man apologized.

"That can't be possible. The Weasleys have been living here since before I was even born," Harry said.

"You must have the wrong house then. Maggie and I have lived here since we were little tikes," The man argued. "Well whoever it is you're finding, I hope you find them."

Harry wasn't in the mood to argue. "Thank you for your time," he said simply, and took off.

Harry felt desperate. He went inside a phone booth and quickly retrieved the phonebook. Maybe, just maybe the Weasleys were living as muggles. He looked through the Ws and found one Weasley in the phone book. _F & G Weasley, Alley Lane, 654-7822… Why didn't it say the house number? _He thought, but he didn't care. As long as he knew the street, it would take no time finding which house it was. Harry smiled joyfully and decided to give the twins a little surprise.

Alley Lane was full of elegant houses. Harry would never imagine Fred and George living in a neighborhood like this. He sat on a bench, reading a newspaper and waiting patiently for any redhead to pass by. It was 4 PM and he had to go to work in 30 minutes because of a change in working shifts.

_Five more minutes and I'm leaving,_ he thought. He had been sitting there for at least 3 hours and the neighbors were beginning to think he was a spy for the government or something. Five minutes later, no sign of any redheads. He sighed, feeling slightly disappointed, but there was always tomorrow. He folded up the newspaper and left it on the bench. He put his hands in his pockets and slowly walked away. He did not feel like going to work at all.

As he was crossing the street, a car was slowly approaching him. He hurried to get out of the way, and as the car drove by, he caught a glimpse of a red-headed gentleman on the driver's seat. He quickly ran after the car and yelled, "STOP!" The car came to a halt and parked to the side of the road. Then the driver lowered his windows.

"Yes?" The man inside was wearing sunglasses.

"Are you George or Fred Weasley?" Harry said exhaustedly.

"I'm Fred Weasley, and who might you be?" He replied.

"I'm George!" Harry heard a voice coming from the backseat. He looked and saw a man looking to be around his mid-30s, with four attractive girls sitting on him and beside him.

"It's me! Harry!" He smiled.

Fred took off his sunglasses and stared at him. "Harry…?"

"Harry Potter… Don't you remember me?" Harry reminded him.

"We know a Harry Clark, Harry Peterson, Harry Istead, Harry Johnson… nope, we don't recall knowing anyone named Harry Potter. Sorry," The windows began to move up but Harry placed his hands to stop them.

"I – I was supposed to marry your sister, Ginny," He added, hoping that would help them remember.

Fred chuckled. "We don't have a sister,"

Harry froze. Did they get amnesia? Or maybe alsymers? "Fred, don't tell me you don't remember Hogwarts? And professor Dumbledore? And Quidditch?"

Fred laughed again. "Having fun making up words? I'm sorry sir, but I think you should get some help."

"Let's go! Get rid of that hobo, my ladies and I want to have some fun," George said from the back.

"Well we must be on our way, good day sir," Fred raised the windows higher.

"But – " Harry began, but Fred shut the window tightly and drove off. Harry couldn't give up. He followed the car and found it entering one of the biggest houses in the neighborhood. _1556, _he remembered the number. He promised this wasn't going to be their last encounter.

Harry left work early that night, saying he had a migraine. He quickly took the subway and returned to Alley Lane. Finally he reached 1556 and pressed the buzzer on the gate. It was probably 500 times bigger than the burrow.

"Who is it?" A voice from a speaker inquired.

"I need to speak with Fred and George," Harry replied.

"May I know who's speaking please?" The voice asked.

"An old friend," He said firmly.

"Sorry sir, but they're busy at the moment. Maybe you can come by tomorrow morning," The monotone voice told him.

"No, I need to see them now," Harry insisted.

"I'm sorry sir," Harry heard the voice disconnect from the other line. He looked at the gate. It was about 100 meters high, and impossible to climb. He looked around, making sure nobody was watching or paying attention. He hid himself behind an oak tree on the front lawn and took out his wand. "Disapparate!"

He found himself in a large, beautifully decorated living room. There were pictures of Fred and George on the wall, dressed in business suits, carrying trophies, playing golf, and many more. The floor was made of marble, and it shined in the light. Harry walked around carefully, not wanting to break or scratch anything. He was amazed at how rich they were now. He turned a corner and heard a distant laugh. He followed his senses and found an open room where there was a big screen, plasma TV, a pool table, a poker table, a ping pong table, a mini-arcade, and comfy couches and chairs. There was a refrigerator at the side, and a silver stereo playing jazz music. On one couch, was Fred with two girls on his lap. On the other couch was George, with two girls on _his _lap. They both seemed quite amused with these women.

Harry knew he had to talk to them now or never. How could he get rid of the women? He pointed his wand to one of the girls on Fred.

"_Densaugeo!_" He cast. Fred pushed the girl away with a confused look on his face.

"What?" She demanded.

"Something happened," He told her.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Oh my god Cassie! Your teeth are growing!" The other girl screamed.

George's girls stopped paying attention to George and looked at what was happening.

"What are you talking about Jessie? Is this a joke?" She rolled her eyes and leaned towards Fred.

"Actually, she's not joshing." Fred pushed her off him.

Cassie touched her teeth and screamed. "OH MY GOD WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?" She ran to the bathroom and looked at the mirror. A loud scream filled the room.

"What's going on? I don't understand how this could happen!" She said worriedly. "What did you do to me you sick bastard?"

"I didn't do anything to you except pay you for your services. I want a refund please," Fred replied. "And get out of our house!"

"No!" The girls took their purses and began to run out of the room.

"Oh let them have it Fred. A few hundred pounds makes no difference to us," George said coolly.

"You're right. That's what we get for getting American girls," Fred shrugged.

When Harry was sure the girls were gone, he whispered, "_Apparate!"_

"Did you just hear a loud crack or something?" George frowned. "I swear I heard something…"

"Yeah I think I heard something to," Fred agreed. "It must be from outside."

"No, it's not," Harry said from behind them. The two men looked at him with fright.

"It's the psycho from this afternoon!" George realized. "How did you get in here?"

"I'm going to call the authorities if you don't leave now," Fred said threateningly.

"They can't catch me," Harry smirked. "I just want to talk to both of you. I need some answers."

"Answers to what? Do you want some money? If that's all you want we'll give you as much as you need," Fred said.

"Can we just sit down and talk calmly? I'm not interested in your money or anything you can offer me. All I want you to do is answer my questions honestly. I won't hurt you, and I promise I'll leave when I feel I've done what I can do here," Harry assured them.

Fred and George looked at each other unsurely, but nodded their heads and sat down.

"First of all, who were the people at the burrow?" Harry wanted to know.

"Where?" George laughed. "You and your silly made-up words."

"Look, I'm not making any of this up," Harry insisted. "Do you remember this?" He took out his wand.

"That's nothing but an ugly, wooden stick," Fred rolled his eyes. "You're quite the fellow."

Harry controlled himself. He was beginning to grow impatient. Did they really forget everything? Their whole life? "Do you remember Zonko's?"

"Of course we do! That's our company name!" Fred laughed. "We sell joke books, pranks in a box, cigarettes that smell like fart, anything you can imagine!"

Harry began to ease up a bit. So they do remember something. This was more like the Fred and George he knew.

"Do you remember Hogsmeade? Diagon Alley?" He continued.

They gave him a blank expression.

"Well… how long have you two been living here?" Harry asked.

"Our parents own this house, and when they passed away we inherited a great sum of money. We've always wanted to start our own business, so we started Zonko's Joke Shop." George explained.

"Molly and Arthur Weasley?"

The twins nodded.

"How are things with your other brothers? Ron, Percy, Bill, Charlie…" Harry felt he was finally getting somewhere.

"Oh we don't have any brothers," Fred told him.

"How did your parents die?"

"A stroke. Both of them at the same time. Quite odd if you ask us, but we let it go," George muttered. "It's been about 10 years since it happened."

"Yes, 10 years indeed," Fred nodded.

Harry was beginning to understand. Someone must've put a memory charm on Fred and George and completely changed their lives. They were now full-fledged muggles, yet somehow they still had the same sense of humor and adventure they had before. It angered him that he couldn't find out more about what had happened, but he decided this was enough for now.

"Well, thanks for talking to me," Harry thanked them.

"We still want to know how you got in here. I mean we have the top security system in England, yet you still managed to get in here. Fascinating," George admired.

"Do you still believe in magic?" Harry grinned.

Fred and George laughed, and led him out the front door.

"What did you say your name was again?" Fred asked, as Harry stepped out the door.

"Harry Potter," Harry said and slowly walked away.

"Yes, we do," Harry heard George's voice admit. Harry turned around and watched them shut the door.

A/n: Sorry about the whole American thing. I'm not racist or anything, just felt like putting that. And I made up Alley Lane…it'd be funny if it was real though.


	10. Isadora Wilkins

**Isadora Wilkins**

Things didn't make sense, but Harry was determined to get to the bottom of things. Someone obviously tampered with Fred and George's memories, erasing everything related to the magic world. But why would someone do that? When he reached Grimauld place, he headed straight to bed and reviewed the events that had just happened. Eventually he drifted off to a deep sleep.

--------------------------

"So you're breaking up with me?" Jenny said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"This is as hard for me as it is for you," Harry reasoned with her. "I'm just really busy right now, and I'm just hurting you by the fact that I can't see you as often as you'd want me to."

Jenny crossed her arms over her chest. "Well why don't you just tell me what the hell is going on so I can help you with whatever you're doing?"

"It's complicated," Harry said in a low voice. "I have a lot of questions that needs answers, and it could be dangerous. I don't want to risk it."

"Are you like a member of the secret service or something?" Jenny laughed. "I get it now. You must be some sort of spy, and you were basically _using _me to get information around the diner, around the city and – "

"I'm not a spy ok. I can assure you that," Harry tried not to smile.

"Well what are you?" Jenny said angrily. "You know what? Just – just go. Do whatever you have to do. I don't care." She was about to close the door but Harry grabbed her arm.

"Ginny – "

Big mistake. "I AM NOT GINNY OK?" Jenny yelled furiously. She slammed the door and Harry heard her lock it.

He sighed. He was expecting this type of reaction from Jenny. He walked towards the elevator and watched the doors close in front of him.

---------------------

Harry hadn't used any of his sick leaves, so he had about a week's worth of vacation. It was already November, and it snowed quite often. Harry decided to visit Percy, his least favorite Weasley. They had never managed to get along since they first met. Harry wasn't sure if Molly himself even talked to him on days other than holidays.

Harry reached the Ministry and approached a long hallway. He then reached a humungous hall with many wizards and witches going about in their business. He went to the fairly sized desk in the middle of the hall, where a curly haired woman with thick glasses was writing furiously. She looked up at him and gave him an angry look.

"Hi," he said feeling stupid.

"What do you need?" She said in a shrill voice.

"I'd just like to know, what department does Percy Weasley work in?" He inquired.

The woman snorted. "Percy Weasley? Oh that loony's been locked up at St. Mungo's for a few years now."

"How come?"

The woman began filing papers. "Because he's loony! Well, if you ask me, it's because his work has gotten to him. Works too much."

"What about his parents?"

"He claims he has none. He has no family. That man never really talked to anyone around here. We've stopped trying to reason with him."

"Ok, thank you very much for your help," Harry replied, feeling more confused than ever.

------------------

_What now? _Harry paced back and forth in the library of his home. How was he going to find Ron or Hermione? He took his owl, Hammy, from his cage. _Why didn't I think of this before? _He grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill on a desk nearby and wrote hastily.

_Ron, _

_Please write me as soon as you receive this. I have too many questions to ask, and if I wrote them down, the owl won't be able to carry the loads of parchment I will send. I will explain more about myself later._

_Harry_

He attached the note to Hammy's leg and opened the window, praying he would return good news.

--------------

Five days later and Hammy had not returned. Harry ordered take out at Sam's diner to avoid awkward confrontations with Jenny. Whenever he stepped foot in the diner she would throw disgusted looks at him. Finally on the 6th day, while Harry was munching his burger, he heard something scraping on the glass window. He jumped up and quickly opened it. Hammy flew inside and to his food dish. Harry searched his faithful pet's leg and found a tiny piece of scrunched up parchment.

_Isadora Wilkins, 4534 June Street, apartment 634. _

_What? Who the hell is Isadora Wilkins?_


	11. Helpless

**Helpless **

"This must be it," Harry looked at his map, the piece of parchment, and the tall building standing in front of him. _4534 June Street. _ There was a group of teenagers hanging out on the stairs in front of the building, smoking cigarettes. As Harry climbed the stairs, he noticed them scrutinizing him. He opened the metal doors and entered the building. It was a lot smaller than it looked from outside. There was a list of room numbers with buttons beside them on the wall, along with a dusty speaker. He scanned for 634. _Here we go. _

He pressed the button, feeling anxious.

"Hello?"

It was a woman's voice.

"Uh – hi?" Harry stammered.

'Who is this?"

"It's Harry. Harry Potter." He replied.

He heard a gasp.

"I'll open the door." The woman answered.

There was a loud buzz and the 2nd set of metallic doors swung open. Harry entered speedily and approached the elevators. _Just my luck, _he sighed. There was a sign saying OUT OF ORDER, PLEASE USE STAIRS taped on the elevator doors. The tiles on the floor were stained with footprints and mud. He followed a set of footprints to the side of the elevator and faced a step set of stairs. _6 floors here we go, _he removed his jacket and began to climb.

By the time he reached the 6th floor, he was breathing heavily, his heart pounding away in his chest. Whose voice was it that answered him? Could it be Ron's wife? He passed by all the other apartment doors, and finally found himself at the end of the long hallway. 634.

As he stretched his arm to knock on the antique looking door, it opened. He found a woman with jet black hair, wearing sweatpants and a dirty shirt and apron, standing in front of him.

"I don't know if I'm in the right place," he began. He had never seen this woman before.

The woman reached for his arm, pulled him inside her apartment and slammed the door. Harry heard her lock the door three times. He felt like he was making a huge mistake by being here. Suddenly he felt the woman grab him from behind and squeeze him tightly. _What was going on?_

"Harry. Oh my god Harry," the woman cried.

Harry gently removed her arms and turned around to face her. "I'm really sorry, but I have no idea who you are."

The woman's face was drenched with tears, her face bright red. She took off her glasses and placed them on her head.

"Of course you wouldn't remember me. I _have _changed," she smiled understandingly. "It's me, Hermione."

Harry dropped his jacket on the floor. This was Hermione Granger? The smartest wizard he had ever met lived in a shack like this? There were cracks on the wall, shattered glass on some widows, and a smell that he could not describe. He embraced her tightly.

"What's happened to you?" he asked. There were so many questions swirling in his mind.

"It's been so long Harry, I've been waiting and waiting for you to come back," She sniffled. "Please, sit down." Hermione led him to an ugly brown couch with foam sticking out of random spots.

"Hermione – "

"Do you want some coffee or tea?" She offered politely.

"No that won't be necessary," Harry shook his head. He just wanted to talk with her and figure out this whole mess.

"Do you want some pie? I made some apple pie the other day and – "

"Hermione will you just sit down and explain everything to me?" Harry said. "I just – I have no idea what the hell's going on."

Hermione grabbed a tissue box and sat beside Harry. "How long have you returned?"

"About 7 or 8 months now," Harry answered.

"And you never wrote me or Ron?" She frowned.

"Well I wanted to, but a part of me didn't," he said, feeling embarrassed. "After I saw Ginny at Hogsmeade… she was so cold. She wasn't the girl I had fallen in love with back in the day. I just stopped contact with our world until now."

"Ginny… poor Ginny," Hermione's eyes began to water. "She suffered so much…"

"Please, I need to know," Harry pleaded.

"I – I don't remember everything Harry, but I'll try my best," She took her glasses from her head and began to clean them with her apron. "There are gaps in my memories, and I've tried my best to fill those gaps… but it drains all my strength."

Harry felt his pulse race.

"All I remember is that the Weasley family has suffered a great tragedy. Molly and Arthur were murdered. They don't even know each other anymore. I don't know what has become of any of them," Hermione closed her eyes.

"How did this all happen? And what became of Ron?" Harry felt like he was in a nightmare.

"Ron... he's dead," Hermione said sorrowfully. "And everyone thinks I killed him!"

Harry squeezed his hands together.

"It's a lot to take in I know, but I've been waiting desperately for you to come back so I can explain to you as much as I can. My memory fades little by little everyday, until I'll no longer remember anything about the events that I've witnessed. There has been a spell cast on me, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Harry waited for her to continue.

"Ron and I got married shortly after graduation. It was a pleasant wedding, and we bought a house near the Burrow. We were so happy…" Hermione's eyes shone brightly. "Then, in Ginny's 7th year… at the school… what was it called again?"

"Hogwarts,"

"Yes, that's the one. She was still in love with you, deeply in love. And… I don't know what happened… but the whole family was in the Burrow, worried about Ginny, because she had gone missing for a long time. We were all so depressed… and then… a green flash… Molly and Arthur fell to the ground." Hermione closed her eyes tightly, trying to remember as much as she can. "About 5 men dressed in black, wearing black masks… cast some spells I can't remember on everyone… Ron and I escaped." She took a deep breath. "We didn't know where else to go… we went to a different city… we thought we were safe… afraid to go back to the Burrow…"

"We took refuge at a homeless shelter. For some reason, we couldn't use our magic, and we found ourselves forgetting things constantly. We lived in paranoia… until one night when we were sleeping... I don't remember how, but Ron just died… and somehow everyone accused me. So I ran away, with nothing but the clothes on my back… didn't know where I was going…" She opened her eyes full of sadness. "I remember feeling so alone and hopeless. It was so hard Harry. I didn't know where to go. I couldn't remember anyone's names. I only remembered you, Ron, and the Weasleys."

Harry squeezed her hand. He couldn't imagine what it was like to not remember anything. And he thought he was having the worst time in the caves? They seemed like heaven compared to what Hermione was experiencing.

"So I just came back to London. Changed my name, changed my hair and appearance. The police never found me… I don't know how I got so lucky… I've always fancied the name Isadora, I don't know why. But yes… the memory of you stuck with me all these years… the fact that you would return someday gave me courage. So I've been waiting all this time Harry."

"How did you find my owl? I addressed it to Ron," Harry asked.

"The kids living here shot at your owl with their toy guns. I took it in and cared for it. I saw the letter on its foot and curiosity got the best of me, and thank God it did," She explained.

They were silent for a few minutes, then Harry spoke up. "I really don't know what to say."

"I saw that Ginny died on the news. I remembered her quite differently from the picture they showed though," Hermione shook her head.

"I was right there when she pulled the trigger. I watched her die," Harry felt like his chest was being torn apart. "I didn't know what to do. She was rambling on about so many things I had no idea what she was talking about. It all happened so fast."

"Harry you can't blame yourself," Hermione told him. "I had no idea whether she was still alive, or where she was for that matter. I've lost all the magic I had in me. I feel so useless."

"FUCK!" Harry yelled. "I just wish I could've been here for you, and Ginny and Ron, and everyone. Who would do this? I'm just so fucking angry!"

"I know you're frustrated Harry, I'm really sorry I wish I could be more help," Hermione sobbed. "I've felt that way for so many years."

"I should've never gone on that fucking mission. I should've been here to save her from whatever happened. None of this would've happened," Harry growled. It felt like the walls were shaking.

"What if I told you there _was_ a way to save her?" Hermione said.


	12. Petalouda Entyposis

A/n: Thanks again **hpgirl77**, I fixed the mistake in chapter two. And yeah I guess the other people who were reading this story are gone… but it's okay it's my fault for never updating. I'm so sorry this story should have been done by now.

Disclaimer: yeah I don't know nuttin' foo!

**Petalouda Entyposis**

Harry jolted up. "What way? Tell me! I'll do anything!"

Hermione looked away, cleaning her already crystal clear glasses. "I don't know Harry... this is extremely dangerous… I don't want you to get hurt. You're all I have left!"

"Hermione please, wouldn't you rather have everyone here? You miss Ron just as much as I do, and you'd want everything the way it was wouldn't you?" Harry argued.

"I – " Hermione gave him an uncertain look. "Okay, I'll explain everything to you, but I have to get my notebook where I wrote the procedure down. I barely remember anything about it, and thankfully I was smart enough to write it."

She rose from the couch and went into the next room. Harry tapped his shoes impatiently. Hermione's plan gave him so much hope. She came back shortly with a red notepad in hand. Harry took out his wand from a secret pocket in his pants.

"You won't be needing that," Hermione informed him. She took a chair and sat in front of Harry this time. She put her glasses on and flipped open the notebook. A small smile crept on her tired face. "I can't believe I wrote this, and now I don't even remember half the things I was talking about. This doesn't make sense to me anymore."

Harry felt sympathy for her. Forgetting everything about magic, Hogwarts, and everything they had grown up with – he would've gone insane. But Hermione was strong, and even though she was alone for so long, she fought through everything.

"Okay, here it is. The spell is called _Petalouda Entyposis, _the butterfly effect in English." She read from her little book, and then she gave it to Harry to read himself.

_-This spell should not be attempted by the faint of heart. Pentalouda Enytposis combines the concept of a time turner and a pensieve, however the memory must be written in words._

_-Only a confident wizard or witch should attempt this spell, because even an attempt can lead to fatality or insanity. _

_-Complete concentration, determination and desire are the keys to making this work. _

_-Once the spell is cast, there is no turning back. Doing so will cause part of your soul to be stuck in a different time period, causing insanity and schizophrenia, and other psychological problems. _

_-Once you change one thing, you will change everything. This will affect not only your life, but everyone's lives that you have interacted with, whether you've only talked to them once, or passed them by while walking down the street._

_-This ancient incantation is highly illegal, and if anyone suspects that you are not from that time period, you will be immediately sent to Azkaban for a 100-year sentence. _

_-Read the memory, concentrate on it, recall as many details as you can, decide which part you want to go back to and chant 'The past is my present and my future is non-existent' over and over. _

_-**ONLY ATTEMPT IF THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!**_

They were silent for a few minutes. Harry re-read the notebook over and over. Finally Hermione blurted out, "There's too much at risk Harry! I don't feel right about this."  
"If it's the only way…" Harry answered softly. "You said so yourself here, 'Only attempt if there is no other way', and there isn't."

"I was desparate during those times Harry," Hermione debated.

"So am I!" Harry felt his voice rise.

"It's not right to tamper with the past…" Hermione combed her hands through her hair. "Do you even have written memories?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "Let's go back to Grimauld Place."

"Is that nearby?" Hermione asked.

"It was Sirius's house,"

"Who?"

Harry realized he had to be patient with Hermione. "My godfather. Never mind. Come on let's go."

"I'd like to change first please. I wouldn't go out like this in public!" Hermione said. She quickly went to the same room she got the book from while Harry put on his jacket and stood by the door. Hermione came out quickly, wearing a checkered green shirt and faded jeans. Her black hair was tied in a ponytail. "Ready."

Harry nodded and opened the door.

------------------------

It was difficult for Harry to travel around Diagon Alley with Hermione, for everything was so new to her. She wanted to look at almost every store, and Harry knew she was just stalling. However, she did remember Olivander's and Flourish and Botts. They went inside a pub and found a fireplace near the backroom.

"What are you doing?" She inquired.

"We're going to have to floo there, since I don't think you can apparate," Harry informed her. He stuck his hand in a bucket that was hanging where you would hang your stockings during Christmas, and took out a fair amount of a grayish white powder. "Here."

"What do I do with this?" Hermione gave him a puzzled look.

"Throw it in the fireplace, go in, and say 'Grimauld Place' loud and clear," Harry instructed. "You go first."

"I think I kind of remember doing this a few times…" Hermione muttered. "Okay, here goes." She threw the powder in, stepped in and yelled exactly like Harry said. In a flash she was gone. Harry followed her shortly.

When he reached Grimauld Place, he found Hermione studying the moving photographs hanging on the wall. "Fascinating," she whispered. Harry smiled and stepped towards Hermione. "I've missed everything magical so much. You're so lucky…"

"Look Hermione, I promise you everything will be better once I go back and fix everything okay? You and Ron will be together, Ginny and I will be together, Arthur and Molly won't be dead, Fred and George will have their shop in Hogsmeade, and not in muggle shopping centers. I promise everything will turn out right, like they're supposed to," Harry assured her.

Hermione thought about this idea intently. "Okay, I trust you."

"Now we have to find my journals," he told her. "I don't even remember the last time I wrote on them. They're probably up in the attic in the boxes I didn't unpack."

Harry found a couple of lamps and handed one to Hermione. They climbed the stairs while Hermione took her sweet time, studying every inch of the house. The attic was enormous, with dust and cobwebs hanging from every space on the ceiling. There were stacks of furniture, hope chests, boxes, picture frames, little trinkets and books everywhere.

"So… where do we start?" Hermione wrinkled her nose as she picked up a moldy book.

"In the boxes," Harry suggested.

Hours went by, and neither of them made a sound. Hermione read through every page of every book, often reading what the book was about and spending at least half an hour. Harry merely looked at the first page and if it wasn't his writing, then he quickly moved on. Finally, Hermione gasped.

"Harry I think I got something!" She exclaimed. Harry immediately ran to her.

"Finally!" He sighed exhaustedly.

Hermione was reading from a yellow page, with the ink slightly fading.

"_June 27. I will be graduating in two days, and I feel like everything is so surreal. Hermione is busy with her speech, Ron still makes jokes out of everything, and Ginny is happy and sad at the same time. I know she doesn't want me to leave, but I promised her nothing would change between us. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I think I should be the one worried actually. I see how Dean and Thomas and Jacob and everyone else staring at her when we walk by. Anyway, I still haven't told her that I will be leaving in 2 nights. I'm scared how she might take it, but this is so important to me, and having this honor to serve makes me feel like I'm making such a difference in our world. I never want any of Voldemort's followers to return and achieve power._"

"Is this good enough?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes that's perfect. Two days before our graduation gives me plenty of time to report to the ministry and tell them I won't be going with their mission." Harry nodded.

"Wait," Hermione found an ugly bag made of feathers and placed a bunch of leather-bound books inside. "Those are the rest of your journals. Don't lose this bag Harry, because you wouldn't want anyone to find these."

"Couldn't you have found another bag?" Harry replied.

Hermione looked at him and laughed. "How can you say something like that at a time like this?" Her eyes began to water. "I'm so scared and worried. What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong I promise," Harry assured her. "Everything will be so much better than it is now." He embraced Hermione for a final time. "Alright, I'm gonna do this now."

Hermione shivered and walked a few meters from Harry to give him space. Harry read the entry over and over in his mind, concentrating on nothing but the words he wrote, the people involved, and where he wanted to go. "The past is my present, and my future is non-existent!" He began to chant. "The past is my present, and my future is non-existent!" He repeated the lines, louder and louder each time. He closed his eyes, concentrating as much as he can, pouring himself into the memory and the chant. After a long time, he felt like nothing was happening. It was dead silent. Then he saw Ginny's face, being blown up by the gun. His anger encouraged him and gave him hope. "The past is my present, and my future is non-existent!" With that last cry, he felt his insides being ripped apart.

"HARRY!" He heard Hermione scream. Her voice seemed miles away.

Harry felt his head pounding. His heart was beating uncontrollably. He felt his knees give out and he fell to the floor, shaking as if he was having a seizure. He curled up in a ball, trying to control himself, but his whole body had a life of its own now. He was spinning – or was it the room that was spinning? He screamed as loud as he can, trying to release the intense pain. Then all he saw was black.


	13. The First Attempt: Part 1

A/n: Well here's a quick update for you guys, since I felt really guilty about never finishing my fics. Thanks to anyone still reading, or is starting to read! (Yes you **Not So Sour Lemons **:) )

**The First Attempt:**

**Part one**

_I – I'm alive! _Harry thought. He moved his fingers cautiously, and then he tried curling his toes. Slowly he opened his eyes, and light poured into them. When his eyes were fully opened, he felt disoriented. He looked around the room, filled with empty beds and white sheets. Then he looked down and saw a red-headed girl sleeping beside him. He looked at his hands; they weren't the same rough and worn-out hands he had. _Did it work?_

He ran his fingers through the girl's hair and caressed her cheek gently. It was definitely her, without a doubt.

"Ginny," he whispered.

She woke up from her sleep, and a smile crept on her face. "Damn you're a deep sleeper. I though you'd never wake up."

"What happened?" Harry sat up. He felt perfectly fine.

"We were all in the common room, I was chatting with Dean while you were with Ron, making jokes about graduation, and Hermione was writing up her speech. Then out of nowhere your nose started bleeding and you were shaking." Ginny told him. Fear was written all over her face. "It was the scariest thing Harry. You were cold all over, I thought you were dying."

Harry pulled her close and kissed her. It was a kiss that he had longed for for many, many years. "I promise everything will be okay."

Ginny squeezed his hand. "Good. I don't want anything like that to happen to you ever again."

"Let's go, I'm starving," Harry suggested.

"Are you feeling better though? Madame Pomfrey went away for a bit, but she trusted you to me," Ginny said worriedly.

"I feel excellent, like nothing ever happened," Harry assured her. He stood up and put on his shoes, the whole time not releasing Ginny's hand.

"Alright then, if you're sure you are," Ginny raised her eyebrow. She knew there was no point arguing with Harry.

They reached the Great Hall filled with students. Harry was so happy; he couldn't wait to change everything. For once everything was going right in his life. Then he looked at Ginny again.

"What's wrong?" Ginny looked back at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno, you just seem kinda different," She explained.

"How so?"

"I don't know, I can't put my finger on it," Ginny answered. "Oh there's Ron and Hermione."

"Oi Harry! You feeling alright?" Ron asked as he engulfed a bowl of soup.

"Yeah I feel great, never better," Harry replied.

"What happened anyway? Were you getting visions?" Hermione asked in a paranoid tone.

"No, nothing like that. I don't know I guess I was just… really stressed out?" It sounded more like a question than an explanation.

The rest of the day, Harry felt at peace. He was so joyful, not even Draco Malfoy's snotty remarks bothered him. Snape's class was surprisingly bearable, he only got 5 marks taken off for losing his quill. Next thing he knew, it was dinner time.

"Hey Ginny, I just have to go to the bathroom. I'll meet you at the common room?" Harry told her.

"Sure," Ginny nodded and continued her conversation with Luna and Neville.

Harry made his way to the owlery with a letter to the Ministry that he had written in charms class clutched tightly in his hand. He attached the letter to one of the school owls, since Hedwig was out hunting for the night. He smiled, knowing that he was doing the right thing. Ginny won't die, the Weasleys will remain a family, Hermione won't lose her magic, Ron won't be murdered… everything will be perfect.

"Dingbat," Harry told the Fat lady.

"My, my Harry, you seem so happy today! I've never seen you so cheerful," The Fat lady commented.

As Harry entered the common room, he found Ginny with a group of people. He walked up to her casually, and she looked up when she saw him.

"How was your bathroom adventure?" She teased.

"Wonderful," He smiled. "Oh by the way, do you see a really ugly bag made of feathers lying around somewhere?"

"Oh that disgusting thing? Yeah it's in your room. Who gave that to you anyway? Obviously someone with terrible taste," Ginny said.

"Okay good," Harry sighed. "Do you wanna take a walk outside or something?"

"Actually I was planning to go to the library and get some studying done… but I'd rather go outside," Ginny nodded.

Harry took her hand and led her outside. They talked about various things, laughing and smiling at each other the whole night. Without knowing it, it was 11:30 at night, and they both knew they were going to be extremely tired tomorrow.

"Let's just stay here, I mean there's no point going back inside and getting caught," Ginny thought.

"That's true, I think you're right," Harry agreed. It was a beautiful night, so peaceful and relaxing.

"Do you ever wonder where we'll be in the future?" Ginny thought.

"Ginny, this might sound out of character of me, but I just wanted to say…"

Ginny looked at Harry quizzically.

"I never want to lose you. I've lost you once, and trust me, it's the worst feeling in the world," He told her.

"What are you talking about?" She gave him a puzzled expression.

"I can't explain it, but I promise you I'll take care of you and I'll never let anything happen to you," Harry kissed her gently. "Do you trust me on that?"

"I guess so," Ginny answered, feeling confused.

Suddenly, Harry felt his insides hurting again. _What's going on? _His head was spinning. He grabbed Ginny's arm.

"Harry what's wrong? Harry?"

Harry felt a gush of warm liquid erupting from his nostrils.

"Oh my God, Harry! HELP! Somebody help us!"

Harry felt his stomach turn inside and out, his intestines being stretched, his throat drying up.

"HARRY? Stay with me, please, don't pass out, come on Harry…"

---------------------------------------------------------

Harry placed his hands on his nose, trying to stop the bleeding. Where was he? He was back at Grimauld place? What had happened? He was in his room by himself. His room looked different; it was clean. He grabbed a towel from his dresser and covered his nose. He felt disoriented, but he had to find out what was going on. He left his room and heard voices talking excitedly in the kitchen.

"This is the safest place," a man's voice argued.

"They are going to find us soon enough!" A woman's voice panicked. "We've been using this as a hideout for too long, and it won't be long before they find a way to us. And when they do, everything will go to waste."

"Where do you suggest we go then?" Another man demanded.

"I don't know… somewhere far away…" The woman sighed.

Harry grabbed the banister and guided himself down the spiraling stairs. Eventually a woman saw him and her eyes widened. "Harry's up."

Everyone else looked at him. The woman with red hair hurried to help him down the stairs.

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"I'll be fine," he answered. "Ginny, what's going on?"

"He's delirious," the woman sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you Harry, I'm _not _Ginny. I'm Wendy. Wendy McAllister."

"Give him a break Wendy, he can't help it," A man with a brown mustache told her.

"Where's Ginny?" He questioned.

"Harry, Ginny and Hermione have been held hostage for about three days now," Wendy informed him.

"BY WHO?" Harry removed the towel from his nose and threw it on the floor.

"You-know-who's followers," A petite blonde woman said softly. "Ron and the others have been looking for them as soon as they found out. They haven't returned."

"Followers? Ron?" Harry was extremely confused. He sat himself against the wall. "How long have I been knocked out for?"

"When you found out that Ginny was taken, you went ballistic," Wendy told him. "You were in such rage… then you suddenly had a seizure and you blacked out."

"Why didn't you wake me? I should be out there looking for her!" He said angrily.

"Harry, you've been so stressed. We thought this could give you a chance to recover and regain your strength." The blonde woman told him.

"I can't believe this…" Harry mumbled. "How old am I now?"

Everyone looked at him curiously. "You're twenty five years old," Wendy told him.

Harry felt everything was falling apart. He went back to abandon his mission, and in doing so, allowing Voldemort's followers to come back. Sure Ginny's not dead, but now she's held a prisoner, probably suffering.

"I promised her nothing will happen to her. I promised her I would never lose her," Harry muttered. "Now look where she is. I promised Hermione she would have a better life. Yeah this is better alright."

"Harry, don't blame yourself man," A curly-haired boy said sympathetically.

"We're trying our best to find them, and we're all feeling pretty down right now, so don't think you're the only one who's suffering," someone else said.

"Come on, I'll take you to your room. You need more rest," Wendy helped Harry up and led him back upstairs. "We need to talk…"


	14. The First Attempt: Part 2

A/n: Thank you for the reviews once again, they are greatly appreciated. And yes it is really based on the Butterfly Effect, just different situations. This chapter is pretty lengthy; the first part was kind of an intro.

**The First Attempt:**

**Part Two**

Harry allowed Wendy to take him. He was not in the mood to argue. He couldn't believe that one decision he made could create even more undesirable consequences. When they finally reached his room, he sat on the bed, feeling helpless.

"I don't know what to do with you anymore," Wendy began.

Harry remained silent. He thought best to let her talk and maybe everything will make sense.

"Do you love me or Ginny?"

"Ginny without a doubt," Harry instinctively replied.

Wendy's face scrunched up. "What was the meaning of this then?" She showed Harry an exquisite sapphire necklace. "You said this was a sign of your 'love'. Then you come and tell me this. What the fuck Harry? I'm so sick of these games."

Harry was shocked. Did he truly love another woman other than Ginny? This wasn't happening… he would never dream of cheating on Ginny.

_Suddenly memories of the past years flashed back to him. The graduation - him, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all laughing together. Ron working at the ministry alongside Arthur; Hermione training to be an auror with Harry; Ginny continuing school. Harry meets a beautiful red-head woman, training to be an Auror like himself. She's from an American school, and her name is Wendy. Ginny and Harry talk less and less, due to busy schedules, while Harry and Wendy talk more. Ginny graduates and decides to become a teacher. She goes to a different school, while Harry and Wendy spend a lot of time together. Ginny and Harry are still together, but it wasn't the same. Wendy leaves her fiancé for she doubts her feelings for him and her feelings for Harry. Harry and Ginny realize that they are better off as best friends. Voldemort's followers, led by a new group of miscreants, erupted when Harry turned 23. They have been fighting the rebellions for two years now. Arthur and Molly died fighting. Percy turned on the Order. _

Harry was shaken. Wendy was crying beside him, her hand clutching the necklace.

"If you still truly love Ginny, then I don't want this necklace," Wendy removed it from her neck and placed it in Harry's hands. "You said you were completely over, and yet you always mention her name. You always subconsciously talk about her! God Harry, you are so fucking difficult! I care for her too, I want her back safely, but you're just too obsessed with her. I know she's probably your first love, but what the fuck Harry? I can't do this anymore."

"Wait, Wendy, I'm sorry – I -" Harry began.

"Talk to me when you know what you want," Wendy said abruptly, and shut the door.

He couldn't accept the fact that he wasn't with Ginny. He expected them to be together forever. He couldn't believe that he would ever love anyone else other than her. _Great!_ Not only has he ruined everyone's lives again, but now even lives of innocent people. He couldn't let this continue. He ran back outside to the meeting. Maybe he could still fix everything somehow.

"What can you tell me about their location?" Harry demanded. Everyone looked surprised. This was more like the Harry Potter they knew.

"Last we heard was an attack in Dublin," A bearded man told him. "That happened last night. Their attacks are unpredictable. They attack at random places and at random times."

"See, they kill and threaten muggles, and anticipate us to come. And once we come to try and stop them, their reinforcements arrive and it's all downhill from there." Another added. "Ginny's student was being attacked so she quickly tried to save them, but it was too late. Hermione and a couple more came after her, but they all got captured."

"Where's Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore's grown very weary… he's at St. Mungo's as we speak…" The brown-mustached man's voice trailed off. "He's slowly recovering. Even Dumbledore has his limits."

Harry was silent for a moment. Then he asked, "Do we have any captives ourselves?"

"Yes, they're downstairs. Mad-Eye's keeping a close watch on them." Another reported. "They haven't given us any information though."

Harry nodded and proceeded downstairs. He walked by Wendy without saying a word, which made her shoulders shake. The basement was dimly-lit, with all sorts of animals running about. He had his wand at the ready, in case anything suddenly jumped at him. He stepped on broken bottles which crackled underneath his shoes.

"Who's there?" A voice snarled.

"It's me, Harry," he answered. He saw Mad-Eye hobbling from the corner. Mad-Eye studied him intently with his good eye, while the other rolled uncontrollably.

"You're finally up," was all the aged Auror said.

Harry gave him a small nod, and followed him around the corner. There he found two wizards pacing back and forth, with depressed looks on their faces. They did not seem affected by Harry's arrival. One had long, greasy brown hair, with an equally greasy beard. The other was a chubby, elf-looking man, who looked about Harry's age.

"They can't see you," Mad-Eye told him. "They haven't got a clue where they are. They've tried contacting the others, but I placed a spell around this floor that stops communication and we confiscated their wands. We're trying to catch them talking about their future plans or mentioning anyone's names, but they've been extremely careful. I think that one's starting to lose it though." He pointed to the chubby man, who was now tracing things on the cement while muttering incomprehensible words.

"Do you know their names?" Harry asked.

"The nutty-looking one's Steven Hennessy. We found out that he's a distant relative of the Malfoys," Mad-Eye explained. "The nervous one pacing is Roger Wasp. He's actually Lavender Brown's third cousin. We gave them some veristarum, but they didn't drink it at all. We know they're hungry and thirsty, but they refused to touch anything that appeared on the floor. They haven't slept all three days either."

Harry was aghast. _As if this is happening_, he thought miserably. Memories of his mission suddenly flashed through his mind. The capture of at least 20 witches and wizards who were suspected to be plotting an uprising. The countless close-death encounters Harry escaped. The terrible loses they had in their team…. And they had succeeded. Harry never realized how much of an asset he was to the team, until now.

"I want to talk to them," Harry finally said.

"What? I can't let you do that," Mad-Eye raised his eyebrows.

"Trust me I'll be fine, and I might even get some information," Harry said firmly. "I _was _training to become an Auror too you know."

Mad-Eye stared at him intently for a few minutes, until finally mumbling some words. "Go. You have 10 minutes to get out of the barrier."

Suddenly a weird, jelly-like wall split into two and Harry immediately went inside. The two men jumped with surprise.

"Who – How – " The elvish man stammered.

"It's Harry Potter you dimwit," The other snapped. His eyes looked menacingly at Harry's scar. "We're not going to tell you anything."

"Look, Roger, I know you're not in the position to give me any information whatsoever, but I just wanted to know... does the name Corey Mitchell ring a bell to any of you?" Harry wondered.

Steven and Roger looked at each other and chuckled. "Old Corey got what he deserved. He sure did," Roger smiled.

Harry's blood began to boil.

"Yep, he sure did," Steven agreed. "We had some fun with Mister Mitchell, yes we did."

Harry tried to keep himself from punching them. "What about Adrianna Webthorne? Or Antonius Quiggley? Sarah O'Reilly?"

"Dead."

"Dead."

"DEAD!" The two prisoners' laughter echoed in the tiny area.

**_Harry and Corey, disguised under the invisibility cloak, crept behind the massive iceberg, wearing 'Anti-marking & Anti-footprint shoes' custom made for the mission._**

**_"See those two Eskimos over there? Well they're not Eskimos, Harry," Corey pointed at two men with thick, furry coats. "That's Roger Wasp and Steven Hennessy, some of the younger generation Death Eaters. They're pretty skilled and aren't as – deficient – as they look." The two men were now throwing what looked like bread at a couple of penguins while taking large gulps from a thermos. _**

**_"That's definitely not hot chocolate they're drinking…" Harry observed as the two men slowly began laughing hysterically at the penguins for absolutely no reason. _**

**_"Nope," Corey agreed. "Now the plan is, I'll come out and chit chat with them. They're easy to manipulate psychologically. Then I'll try to hex them, which of course won't work as easily as I'd like it to. Then I battle with them for a bit while you light these fireworks and send a massive avalanche hurtling down. But – " he continued before Harry could interrupt. "I'll cast another jinx that'll make them deaf and blind for a few minutes. And when the avalanche comes…BAM they're trapped and unconscious and ready to be shipped to Azkaban."_**

_**Harry admired Corey. He always came up with the strategic plans that the whole team followed. Harry felt Corey was somewhat like Sirius, adventurous, and a risk-taker, yet also very secretive and private.**_

"We put you away in Azkaban… you should've been locked up by now…" Harry thought aloud bitterly.

"Clearly not since we're both standing here wasting time with you!" Roger spat.

"I already know your master plan…" Harry said softly.

Roger guffawed, "Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to give you a chance to redeem yourselves," Harry said. "I mean, with your three daughters all alone with your brother-in-law, which I'm surprised you trusted with him, considering his history of… erm… let's just say 'uncontrolled temperament'…" Harry looked at Roger's face which turned to a solemn frown. "If you were locked up, just imagine how much _fun_ he'll have with your daughters. And they're all you have left since your three wives' deaths."

"How do you know this? Who told you this information?" Roger bellowed.

"And as for you Mister Hennessy, your poor mother is not in her best state is she?" Harry looked at the now pale and shaking man. "You left her at her worst. And when she finds out you're a Death Eater, it will cause her instant fatality. Your poor, poor mother…"

Steven looked at the floor.

"What do expect to gain from being a Death Eater? Do you think you'll find a cure for her rare disease?" Harry continued. "I mean… I have a lot of connections… I can easily find someone who can make a cure for her."

Steven's eyes lit up. "Really? Dear mother has been suffering from bad dreams all her life…"

"Yes, it's an awful illness," Harry patted Steven in the shoulder.

"Get off him!" Roger pushed Harry roughly. "Listen Steven, we could have _everyone _working for your mum's cure! That way we can get it faster!"

"But not everyone's a qualified alchemist you know," Harry pointed out. "Would you let your mother turn into a guinea pig? I don't think so."

"So what is it that you want?" Steven looked at Harry with sad eyes. "I would do anything to save my mum."  
"Pathetic," Roger said. He grabbed Steven's shoulders and shook him. "He's clearly trying to bribe us you dimwit! Snap out of it! Your mum would be happy to die for our cause!"

Next thing Harry knew, Roger and Steven were on the floor, punching each other like two teenage boys. He stepped out of the barrier to find Mad-Eye watching in amazement.

"So once they're asleep, just pour the verisaterum in their drinks and I think it should work," Harry said casually.

"How did you know all that? You knew something none of us did…" Mad-Eye wondered aloud. "We spent time trying to find as much about them as possible, but we couldn't link them to anybody. All their records were destroyed."

Harry didn't bother to explain, considering he couldn't think of a good explanation. Soon enough, Hennessy and Wasp grew tired and fell asleep without even realizing that Moody had removed the barrier.


	15. The First Attempt: Part 3

A/n: Sorry I realized that Part 2 was getting too long so I decided to cut it once more. And aw no reviews... but whatever I like this story myself so it doesn't bother me :)

**The First Attempt:  
Part three**

"You are amazing Harry Potter," a very mature Luna Lovegood complimented as she rode speedily on her broom, trying to catch up with Harry.

Harry smiled faintly and continued to lead the Order. Just as Harry already knew, the leaders were Benjamin Avery, Richard Burke and Minkus Karkaroff. All of which had been arrested and found guilty in his past. Or his future? They reached an old building made with thorns wrapped around hundreds of pillars. There was no roof, only a mass bush of intertwined venomous leaves and flowers.

"How can we tell which pillar has it again?" Neville forgot.

"It's the one with 5 pythons guarding it," Luna reminded him.

The 'rescue team' consisted of 20 members of the Order, as they were still called. As soon as they landed on the ground, the thorny vines seemed to come to life. They whipped around violently, coming from all directions.

"_Incendio_!" Ernie Macmillan yelled at an approaching vine.

"Wait! How does the song go again?" Seamus Finnigan asked.

Harry led the group and sang in a nursery-rhyme sort of tune, "Thorny vines, thorny vines! Oh how beautiful your thorns are! So elegant and fine, I wish they were mine! Your vines are filled with power!"

As the team sang the ridiculous song, the crazed vines calmed down and slowly dropped slowly to the floor, motionless. When they were sure every single one had stopped moving, they carefully jumped over them (because they were told that as soon as they mount their brooms, the vines will come back with a vengeance), which was a very tricky feat. Several of them cut their feet and ankles, but finally they found the pillar which was located near the back of the building.

"Okay, about 7 of you stay here and guard the portkey. The rest, let's go," Harry commanded. They placed their hands on the portkey and Harry felt himself being sucked in through his bellybutton. He felt as if he was trapped in a tornado, swirling around. Finally they landed on hard cement floor, which caused numerous groans among them. Harry immediately got to his feet and ran up a steep hill. On the other side, he found a group of witches and wizards, surrounded by a ring of fire.

"Those idiots!" An angry voice yelled. It came from a rugged-looking man with long blonde hair who Harry knew as Minkus. "I told you they would give away our hide out!" Harry saw around 15-20 more witches and wizards crowding behind him. In the middle, two men were pushing everyone aside. The rest of the Order finally reached the top and stood beside Harry, wands pointed down.

"If it isn't famous Harry Potter, of course," An evil-looking man with thick-framed glasses spat. He had an ugly comb-over and a deformed nose. _Avery,_ Harry noted.

"Now we'll find out how you ever defeated the dark Lord!" The third man roared. This one was extremely tall and pale, with a high Mohawk and huge gauged ears. _And Burke of course, _Harry knew.

"Stop talking," Harry said loudly. He tried to find Ginny in the crowd of captives.

"Harry!" some of the captives called out. Harry saw Hermione and Ron looking very beat up and having cuts all over their faces. He spotted some people he knew, but couldn't find Ginny.

"What are we standing here for? _Expelliarmus!_" an impatient wizard yelled.

Harry easily blocked it by using a non-verbal spell. "You haven't trained your recruits very well."

"Shut up!" Burke snapped. Suddenly someone from behind him fell to the floor, frozen.

"Oops, I didn't meant to do that yet," Harry heard Neville whisper. And that was all it took. Everyone started throwing jinxes and curses at everyone else. The field was bombarded by wizards and witches. As far as Harry was concerned, Ginny had to be saved. He fought angrily, just wanting to get the battle over with. He felt his only goal was to reach the ring of fire and get Ginny out.

"Avada Kedavra!" Burke said fiercely.

Harry ducked and countered, "Sectumsempra!"

Burke tried to avoid it, but tripped over someone's body. He began to bleed uncontrollably everywhere. Harry ran faster to the ring of fire, firing any spell that came to mind at anyone who came across his path. Finally he reached the ring and shouted the fire extinguishing charm. That seemed too easy, but it worked nonetheless. _These rookies need to learn new tricks, _Harry thought. He walked towards the people inside.

"No Harry, don't!" A terrorized Hermione warned. But it was too late. Harry stepped inside the invisible circle and he felt his feet being planted on the ground.

"What's happening?" He demanded.

"We can't move!" A weary Ron told him. His freckles were covered in dust and dirt. He had a cut on his lips and his cheeks. "It's like being frozen and having dementors sucking on us. We can't use our magic either because it bounces back. A couple people tried it and killed themselves..." He looked at an older man beside him whose face was turning yellow as he gasped for breath.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked immediately.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. Ron looked away and watched the battle's progress. Hermione looked at her muddy feet. "She… she's dead, Harry."

Harry felt his body stiffen, and it wasn't because of the charm placed in the circle. "I killed her again."

"What?" Ron raised his eyebrows at him. "Are you telling us something we ought to know?"

Harry didn't speak.

"Look Harry, she was so frustrated being locked up here… she saw how Katie Bell tried to escape using a random spell and died from it, yet she still tried. She died instantly…" Hermione explained.

Harry began to shake. Everything was going wrong. He felt his head become heavy and he didn't even know what was going on anymore. Did he pass out? The next thing he knew, Wendy had him in a tight embrace, crying on his chest.

"I thought you had died but you were just in here, all protected," Wendy teased.

"What happened?" Harry came back to earth. He realized he could now move his hands.

"We won Harry! We stopped their ridiculous rebellion!" Wendy cheered.

"I – I have to get back to the headquarters," Harry thought loudly, ignoring Wendy. He walked away, leaving her loathing him.

"Harry, where are you going?" Hermione called. "Harry! Harry, wait!" She ran behind him and grabbed the back of his robes. "Stop it! Will you calm down for a second?"

"We have to get back to the headquarters," Harry told her. "Let's go."

"Oi, wait up!" Ron called from behind them. He ran towards them with a confused look. "What's going on?"

"We have to go, come on!" Harry didn't bother to explain. Hermione and Ron gave each other a puzzled look but didn't want to ask questions. They followed Harry up the hill and to their landing. Harry walked around and found a smooth, green rock which served as their portkey back. When they returned, he quickly mounted his broom, while Ron and Hermione shared someone's broom that was left on the ground.

"It would be nice to know what we're in such a hurry for," Hermione said.

"I have to save her again," Harry mumbled.

"Harry, she's gone okay!" Ron barked. "I know you were in love with her at one point, but come off it. I'm just as crushed as you are! I miss her terribly alright, but I'm accepting it. She died bravely, and she never stopped fighting."

"You don't understand!" Harry snapped. He didn't want to give away anything, because he knew that Hermione would know what was going on right away. He refused to talk to Hermione and Ron for the whole trip.

-----------------------

When they reached Grimauld place, Harry ran up the stairs and to his room. Hermione and Ron followed him, still completely clueless. Harry looked under his bed and found boxes. He started throwing everything inside them frantically.

"What are we looking for?" Hermione wondered.

"Help me find a really ugly bag with feathers on it," Harry ordered.

"Harry no offense mate, but I'm way too tired," Ron fell on Harry's bed and closed his eyes.

"I think I found it," Hermione said softly. It was behind a wooden dresser. "What do you have this for?"

"Please get out," Harry told them.

"What?" Ron's body shot up. "What the bloody hell is your problem?"

"Please, I'm asking you to leave my room, please," Harry said in an unsteady voice.

"Wow, I don't even want to bother with you," Ron said angrily. He got up and stomped away.

Hermione eyed Harry suspiciously. "Whatever you're planning to do, it's not right, and I know I should stop you, but I know nothing can change your mind right now." She stood up and brushed a hair out of her mouth. "Harry, you have to accept the circle of life. People die everyday, and people are born everyday."

"Well today's not her day," Harry said quietly.

Hermione shook her head and walked out of the room. Harry hastily shut the door and sat on the floor. He retrieved his notebook and looked for a good entry. "Today was my graduation and I finally told her my big secret," he read quickly. _Concentrate, concentrate, _he told himself. "My past is my present and my future is non-existent! My past is my present and my future is non-existent!"

And without warning, Harry felt his body being slammed to the ground, the same excruciating pain. Then he blacked out.


End file.
